N20 billion bailout fraud: Bello fights back, vows to prosecute EFCC

Kogi State government has reacted to the frozen N20 billion bailout fund meant for payment of workers salaries, but which was deposited in a fixed account with Sterling Bank PLC, to generate interest.

The salary account of Kogi State with which the amount was frozen on Tuesday by a Federal High Court, Lagos division on an ex-parte motion brought before it by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At a press briefing in Lokoja on Thursday, Kogi State Economic team believed that the anti-graft agency has goofed by not cross checking their records to ascertain facts before rushing to Court, insisting that Kogi has no fixed deposit account.

The State Commissioner for Information and Communication Strategy, Evangelist Kingsley Fanwo urged the EFCC to substantiate its allegations against Kogi State, while he accused the agency of grandstanding.

Making reference to a letter by Sterling Bank, Mr Fanwo insisted that there was no fixed deposit account operated by the State government.

“Sterling Bank Plc by its letter of 1st September 2021 confirmed in writing that the ‘the Kogi State Government does not currently operate or maintain a fixed deposit account with Sterling Bank.”

He said the letter proceeded to confirm that all the balances in all the accounts operated by Kogi State Government was approximately N46 Million Naira.

‘Finally, the letter confirmed that account number 0073572696 cited in the alleged order of the Court is ‘an internal (mirror) account operated by the Bank for the purposes of managing the Kogi State Bailout Facility’,” he said.

Fanwo accused EFCC of dragging the image of the State in the mud, while stressing that there were vested interests behind the interim injunction to freeze account of the State government.

The State government urged Nigerians to know that the “various news surrounding the alleged conversion of salary bail out funds in Kogi State are fake, the allegations and acts are those of malicious men and women employing the machineries of Government to do the bidding of their seen and unseen allies.”

“The allegation that the Kogi State Government authorised the opening of a fixed deposit account wherein it deposited the said Bail out loan of 20billion for the purpose of generating interest for itself is false.

“The Kogi State Government gave no mandate or instruction to Sterling Bank Plc to open a fixed deposit account on its behalf as it could barely meet the salary obligations for which the funds were received at the material time.

The government spokesman said they will seek appropriate redress and will resist most vehemently the instant attempt and any further attempt to bring her into disrepute.

“We are still shocked as to how the EFCC came about the patently false information upon which they have fraudulently or by misrepresentation of facts secured the purported order freezing a non-existent account or a ‘mirror account’ created for administrative purposes by the Bank in respect of funds which have since the October 2019 been fully disbursed and utilized for the purpose for which it was borrowed.

“We want to put it on record at this point that at no time during this entire concatenation of unfortunate events did the EFCC invite or question, much less seek clarification, from this Government or any of her officials in relation to such weighty matters. Also, none of the media houses or platforms which initially broke the news so much as sought a comment from us. No doubt our rights to fair hearing and the nation’s right to fair and accurate reportage did not matter in the circumstances of this shabbily designed but otherwise clinically executed hatchet job.

“This is neither happenstance nor coincidence, but a coordinated hostile action. We remain concerned that a Federal agency of the calibre and responsibilities of the EFCC which is charged to combat financial fraud is the one engaging in fraud and misrepresentation of facts for the purpose of securing needless Orders meant to ridicule a court of competent jurisdiction.”

The averted that Alhaji Yahaya Bello is the most transparent and accountable governor, but there were simultaneous attempt to drag what he described as ‘pristine robes’ with a barrel of red oil.