By Our Correspondent in Ilorin
The war against corrupt elements in Kwara state recorded a boost on Friday as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Kwara Zonal Office, handed over the looted N147.7 million, recovered from suspected treasury looters, to the state government.
The Head of the zonal office, Mr Kazeem Oseni, who handed over the sum to the Commissioner for Finance, Olasumbo Florence Oyeyemi, at the Government House,Ilorin said it was recovered from contractors that handled projects at the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service.
Giving details of the recovery, Oseni disclosed that of the amount, N9 million was recovered from officials of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board.
He added that the recovery was possible following the quizz the commission carried out on the officials of the board, including its suspended Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Bayo Onimago, for allegedly including some ghost workers into the payroll.
Oseni,who said that the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr Umar Abba Muhammed, approved that the recovered sum should be returned to the Kwara State Government, urged the state government to use the money for the wellbeing of the people.
According to him, the anti-graft organization, in its bid to sanitise the system,has continued to investigate all crimes committed in the society with a view to bringing the culprits to book and ensure the return of stolen assets to their lawful owners.
He expressed the commission’s continued effort to recover more money for the state government and individuals cheated in one way or the other.
Receiving the money, Oyeyemi, commended the commission for the recovery and promised that the state government would use the money for the development of the state.
“I want to assure the zonal head and other management staff of the EFCC that we will do our best to utilise the money very well,” the commissioner said.
She disclosed that the state government had received looted N111 million and N263 million on two different occasions.
