DAMISI OJO, Akure
Anti- graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) is said to have invited the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Bamidele Oleyelogun and some civil servants over a multimillion Naira fraud allegedly rocking the state parliament.
Apart from the Speaker, the EFCC also summoned the Chairman, House Committee on Tertiary Education, Hon. Felemu Gudu Bankole and Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Bode Adeyelu.
The Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, Babatunde Olowogorioye had been reportedly grilled over the alleged fraud.
However, sources said two civil servants of the Assembly, Olusegun Kayode Oyadeji and O.J. Afolabi were detained over the weekend over the alleged fraud in the Assembly.
One of the alleged frauds being investigated by the anti-graft agency was said to have been committed in 2019 when the lawmakers supposed to have attended a two-day seminar organised by National Productivity Centre, Lagos.
A competent source in the Assembly said the lawmakers requested for fund to be released so that four people who were members of the Committee on Tertiary Education would attend the seminar that was slated for Wednesday, 11 and Thursday 12, December 2019.
Those to attend the ‘Seminar’ included the Clerk, the Deputy Speaker, the committee Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education and two members of the committee.
Documents requesting for fund indicated that, “the seminar was aimed at institutionally productivity, consciousness and excellence in service among workers and organisations in both public and private sectors.
“To accord workers and organizations the platform in achieving high productivity as well as giving impetus the seminar in charting the pathway in revitalizing the Educational Sector”.
However, it was learnt that there was no such seminar organised, thereby the money released by the state Ministry of finance amounting to N2.4million went to private pockets.
The Director of Information Service (DIS) to the Assembly, Mr. Seinde Falokun however denied knowledge of the arrest of the lawmakers.
He said as a civil servant, he was not competent to speak on the matter.
