Just In: Whistle-Blower Exposes Documents Of Obaseki’s Financial Recklessness

By Matthew Ogune, Abuja
Barely 5 days to Edo State Governorship election, a credible whistleblower, George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (GUWN) said on Monday that it was in receipt of documents detailing how the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, “embezzled” Edo State resources.

The credible whistleblower blew the lid on major financial crimes in the past, including the EFCC and the Office of the Vice-President.

The group in a statement issued Obaseki a 48-hour ultimatum to respond to the grave charges brought against him.

“George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (GUWN) is in receipt of bank statements from 2015 to 2019 belonging to Edo State Government.

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“We are not unmindful of the fact that there is election around the corner-in a few days-in Edo State.

“As a Civil Society Organization, we are non-partisan. However, for sake of public interest, we analyze any information sent to us from whistleblowers, some anonymous as in the present case.

“After analyzing the information, we disseminate to the public whose interest we serve,” the group said.

The group listed some of the financial recklessness of the Governor to include:
transfers made into 8-digit account numbers running into billions of naira; and transfers in billions of naira from Edo State Government to general-purpose accounts in different banks, including but not limited to Equatorial Trust Bank (which is not in operation), Access Bank, Sterling Bank etc.

“Posers: what does general-purpose stand for? Are these funds dissipating from these general-purpose accounts in these banks?

“The red flag is clear and convincing,” the groul stated.

The group said they also found billions of naira in transfers to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) without being specific on the particular MDAs.

“Transfers should not be in bulk figures in billions of naira without specifying the MDAs and their respective account numbers,” the group added.

The group also uncovered that billions of naira passed through Edo State Government to companies like A&K Construction without specifying the accounts of the companies.

“In other words, Edo State Government released money to itself, mentioned companies like A&K Construction without mentioning the recipients’ accounts.

“Without those details, we can conclude that the monies have no destinations,” the group added.

It further stated that billions of naira were transferred in numerous tranches without account numbers and account names of the purported recipients.

The group said billions of naira were debited as Value Added Tax (VAT).

This, it said, contravened common sense, adding that VAT should be a credit not debit.

The group said: “Why would you move billions out and give the narration as VAT? VAT collections are credits, not debits.”

The whistleblower group further said billions of naira were released as salary from EDSG without specificity.

According to the group,  “August 2019 alone, N746,622,765:33 and N693,388,159:31 were moved under the narration salary from EDSG.

“This is very suspicious, particularly the proximity of the transactions and others above to the election,” the whistleblower (group) said.