BY GIDEON PHILLIPS
Having been in the public eye for sometimes now eliciting discourse on alleged misappropriation of some funds , top officials of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission , OSOPADEC have been quizzed by the Code of Conduct Bureau in Akure the Ondo State capital.
Gideon Phillips reports that the state commissioner for education was also among those quizzed.
The Chairman of OSOPADEC, Prince Biyi Poroye , the commission secretary, Princess A bike Bayo-Ilawole had been in the news for sometimes now over allegations of certain fund misappropriation in the commission.
Briefing newsmen on the invitation of the official , the Chief Superintendent of CCB, Mrs. Roseline Akingbemila explained that officials were alleged of breaching code of conduct by having state funds transferred to their personal accounts.
She said they were invited to provide documents including bank statements and others to clear themselves.
While the commission’s Chairman , Prince Poroye was not readily available for interview at the CCB office , the Secretary, Princess Bayo-Ilawole who spoke with journalists denied the allegations explaining that all projects were completed and funds accounted for.
She argued that transfers to personal accounts were for project-related expenses, supervised by committees, and approved by the governor.
Princess Bayo-Ilawole stated that records would clear her and other officials involved as some project funds still remain unspent.
The Director of Project Planning and Development at OSOPADEC, Mr Olubunmi Filani claimed he received project funds into his personal accounts for direct labor payments claiming it was a common practice for projects in hard-to-reach areas.
Also responding to allegations of diverting about N311 million into his account , the
Deputy Director of Project Monitoring and Evaluation at OSOPADEC, Mr Dare Oretan said N141 million of the fund transferred to his account was for direct labor contracts to renovate schools in riverine areas with 10 of the 16 schools completed.
In the case of the state commissioner for Education, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, he was accused of collecting salaries from two government establishments which he outrightly denied.
Professor Ajibefun explained that as Commissioner, he was an automatic member of state-owned institution’s governing councils, and so entitled to sitting
allowances for council meetings, which he attends three times a year dismissing the allegations as “false” and “ignorant” of tertiary institution administration.
The accusations of misappropriation of funds at Osopadec bothers on about #463 million naira .