N96bn LG Fraud: Edo Panel Report Indicts Obaseki, PDP Leaders

Governor Monday Okpebholo has revealed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will prosecute impeached local government chairmen for allegedly looting local government treasuries.
A panel report implicated not only the chairmen but also former Governor Godwin Obaseki and PDP leaders. The report alleged that over N96 billion was mismanaged or diverted. Governor Okpebholo has vowed to retrieve the stolen funds and ensure justice is served.
Governor Okpebholo made this revelation when he received the report of the Administrative Panel of Enquiry set up on the 18th of December, 2024 to investigate the financial dealings of the impeached 18 Local Government Chairmen in Edo State from 4th September, 2023 to November, 2024.
Governor Okpebholo said, the days of financial recklessness and lack of transparency in public office were long over, as “Nigerians need to start demanding accountability from elected public office holders”, stressing that “it was the only way to fight corruption and ensure development.”
Okpebholo said, “I want to thank you for a job well done. I carefully listened to the submission of the report. The truth is that the administration of former governor Godwin Obaseki took Edo people for granted. They took everything belonging to Edo people and channeled it for their personnel gains.
“We thank God for helping us to change the narrative to benefit Edo people. We also thank the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because without his support, we will not be witnessing the kind of development we are experiencing in Edo today.
“A lot has happened. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) looted the treasury of the Local Governments and stole our collective patrimony, and nobody went after them or took action. This time, things are different. We will go after them and retrieve what they have stolen from Edo people.
“They will be made to pay for it. I will personally take this document to the EFCC and ensure that justice is done for this wrong done to Edo people.”
The Chairman of the panel, Mr. Solomon Imohiosen, noted that findings and forensic investigations uncovered huge sums amounting to N96 billion was either mismanaged and/or diverted to private accounts.
The panel observed that N95 billion was received from the Joint Allocation Account Committee by the 18 Local Government Area Chairmen for the period investigated.
The panel reported that over N10 billion was siphoned, using the pseudo name, “Security, Environment and Training”, saying that the 18 Local Government Area Chairmen contributed to the account, using it as a conduit pipe to drain government resources, as money were transferred from there to various individuals and companies.