The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has called for holistic probe into activities of some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials over the alleged breach of trust and criminal diversion of allowances meant for the ad hoc staff to the tune of N84,696,000.
Mr. Debo Adeniran, CACOL’s Executive Chairman, in a statement issued by Toyin Odofin, the group’s Media and Publications Officer, listed the said INEC officials who allegedly diverted the allowance as Administrative Secretary, Hassan Sidi Aliyu; Head of Operations, Hussain Jafar; State Accountant, Abdullahi Yusuf Abubakar, and Abdulmumin Usman.
He stressed that it was their arrest by the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives that led to the recovery of over N65million allegedly stacked in two fire proof safes during a search conducted in offices of the HOD Accounts and Cashier of INEC in Zamfara State.
Adeniran stated: “It was reported that Abdullahi Nasiru had written a petition to the EFCC on behalf of all presiding officers that worked for INEC during the 2019 presidential and governorship elections in Zamfara State, where the petitioner alleged that the ad hoc staff were each denied payment of their N6,000 movement allowance for the two elections.
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“He further alleged that what INEC paid to them was different from what other states paid their ad hoc staff. Also, INEC allegedly paid its staff the sum of N9,000 in Zamfara, while INEC in other states such as Sokoto paid N12,000. All these shortfall in payment was what accumulated to the said amount, i.e. N84,696,000.
Adeniran wondered why Nigerian electoral system had continued to wobble and fumble with all the allowances to it from respective federal and state governments, year in year out, stressing that this was a confirmation of how such scarce resources simply vanish into thin air through siphoning of the larger proportion of sums budgeted and diversion of such finances.
The CACOL boss added: “It is therefore incumbent on the two anti-graft agencies, the EFCC and ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission) to sustain and further intensify their commendable efforts in nipping much of this illegal expropriation of our resources in the bud and recover the ill-acquired wealth as much as possible, with a view to plugging them back to their original purposes.”
Adeniran expressed joy that already, efforts were being made by EFCC to recover the money allegedly diverted by the three INEC heads of department and electoral officers of the 14 local governments in Zamfara State, namely, Abdullahi Sambawa, Zurmi LGA; Aliyu Jafaru Goronyo, Maradun LGA; Balarabe Ahmed S Gobir, Gummi LGA; Amadu Ibrahim, Gusau LGA; Mohammed Bashir Musa, Kaura Namoda LGA; Dalhatu Usman Musa,Birnin Magaji LGA; Abdulmumin Usman, Maru LGA.
