Ekiti Speaker accuses EFCC of selective fraud probes

 The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Pastor Kola Oluwawole has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC of being selective in its fraud investigation. Oluwawole, who described the anti-corruption agencies as instrument of government saddled with beaming searchlight on all reported cases of fraud, said the onus was on them to carry out their functions without bias. A statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Chief Olugboyega Aribisogan, said that the Speaker spoke yesterday after presentation of the state’s Auditor-General’s Report for the 2014 financial year to the Assembly at a special plenary The Speaker said: “I want to emphasise that the EFCC has been selective in its investigations. All the reported cases of fraud pending in the EFCC office must be investigated.

 “Today’s programme is a demonstration of accountability and transparency of the present Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led administration in Ekiti State. “It is our fervent prayer that this administration would make the difference that is required at improving the existing level of achievement of the Public Sector Governance Reform and Development Project in the fight against the prevalence of corruption in governments and other sectors,” he said. Oluwawole assured that the House Committee on Public Account would begin proper scrutiny of the exreport, based on its formal presentation by the state Auditor-General in accordance with the country’s constitution and Standing Order of the state House of Assembly. Presenting the report earlier, the Auditor-General, Mr. Daniel Kayode, noted that part of the cogent contents of the report was that the 2014 budget was balanced with revenue and expenditure projection of N103.9 billion, adding that the average budget performance of the year stood at 71.02 per cent for revenue and 66.2 per cent for expenditure.
Kayode said that the variance resulted from over-optimism in budget projections, while he said “Audit recommends vigorous efforts and smart approaches to IGR issues to turn the situation around.” He said government would have to encourage citizens to perform their civic responsibilities with regards to taxation, “while greater incursion must be made into the informal sector to broaden the tax base and to tap more revenues.” He said unanswered audit queries as of December 31, 2014 were in excess of N4.8 billion, adding that accounts of many government parastatal agencies were last audited in years ranging from 2010 to 2013.