EFCC Opens Gates Of Fraud In Ondo Assembly, Probes ‘Ghost Seminar’ Attended By Members |The Source

By Ayodele Oni

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is currently investigating a ‘Ghost seminar’ which was supposedly attended by some members of the Ondo state House of Assembly in 2019.

Already, the anti graft agency has invited the Speaker of the House, Mr Bamidele Oleyelogun, to shed light on the Seminar, and other undercover frauds rocking the legislative house.

Also being invited are some civil servants, Chairman, House Committee on Tertiary Education, Mr Felemu Gudu Bankole, and the  Clerk, Mr Bode Adeyelu.

Already, the EFCC has quizzed the Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, Mr  Babatunde Amos Olowogorioye, over the alleged fraud.

Investigations revealed that two civil servants attached to the Assembly, Olusegun Kayode Oyadeji and O.J. Afolabi, were  detained over the weekend in connection with some funny expenses in the assembly.

The Seminar was said to have been organized and held in 2019 for two days by the National Productivity Centre, Lagos.

Assembly sources disclosed that the lawmakers requested for fund to be released.  Four people who were members of the Committee on Tertiary Education were to 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 Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education and two members of the committee.

According to the documents requesting for fund, “the ‘seminar’ was aimed at institutional 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 in charting the pathway in revitalizing the Educational Sector.”

It was, however, discovered that there was no such seminar organised, thereby the money released by the state Ministry of finance amounting to N2.4million, allegedly, was diverted to private pockets.

The Director of Information Service (DIS) to the Assembly, Mr. Seinde Falokun denied knowledge of the arrest of the lawmakers.

He said as a civil servant, he was not authorised to speak on the matter.