Efio-Ita Nyok|18 May 2016|5:35am
If you recall, at the out set of the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government of Nigeria on May, 2015, Governors of majority of states in the country couldn't pay salaries they owed their staff. They resorted to the President for an assistance which he obliged them via a soft loan called Bail out Grant.
It's on record that the government of Cross River State, which wasn't owing salaries as at then, collected the sum of N7, 856,400,000.00. Unconfirmed reports has it that the sum of N3, 140, 883, 040.70 was disbursed to pay civil servants salaries while the sum of N4, 715, 516, 959.23 remained as balance allegedly given to one of the sibling of the Executive Governor of Cross River State by name, Dr. Frank Ayade, notoriously referred to by critics of the state Governor, Ben Ayade, as the 'defacto governor', who in turn loans the money to the Government of Cross River State at an interest rate of 30%.
This is what is compelling the leading public policy analyst, environmental activist and revered whistle blower, Ifere Paul, in a 17 May 2016 petition, to asked the antigraft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as well as Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Matters Commission (ICPC) to investigate the allegation.
The petition is titled: PETITION FOR INVESTIGATION OF THE EXPENDITURE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BAILOUT GRANT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CROSS RIVER STATE OF NIGERIA AND THE ROLE PLAYED BY ONE FRANK AYADE, BROTHER OF GOVERNOR BEN AYADE. What follows is the petition of Ifere Paul as originally written by him:
17th May, 2016
The Acting Executive Chairman
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
Abuja, Nigeria.
Dear Sir,
PETITION FOR INVESTIGATION OF THE EXPENDITURE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BAILOUT GRANT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CROSS RIVER STATE OF NIGERIA AND THE ROLE PLAYED BY ONE FRANK AYADE, BROTHER OF GOVERNOR BEN AYADE
I write in respect of the above subject matter seeking for an investigation of how the government of Cross River State of Nigeria spent the sum of N7, 856,400,000.00 granted to it by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2015 as bailout fund to enable it clear a back log of salary owed civil servants.
From my discreet finding, out of the N7, 856,400,000.00 received by the Government of Cross River State from the Federal Government, it disbursed the sum of N3, 140, 883, 040.70 supposedly to clear it back log of civil servants salaries, leaving a balance of N4, 715, 516, 959.23. It is important that you note that the Cross River State government was not owing civil servants prior to the time they applied for the bailout as mandated by the president that “only States who are owing should apply”. Since CRS was not owing salaries, for what reasons do they have to apply for the bailout?
Till now, how the said balance of N4, 715, 516, 959.23 was spent has become a source of endless controversy and rumour.
It is widely believed that the said balance of N4, 715, 516, 959.23 was illegally handed over by the Accountant General of Cross River State to one Frank Ayade, the younger brother of Governor Ben Ayade.
The said Frank Ayade paid the said balance of N4, 715, 516, 959.23 into his private account and has being borrowing the Government of Cross River State from the money at an astronomical interest rate of 30 percent.
In the light of the above, I humbly request the EFCC to investigate the expenditure of the entire bailout fund given to the Government of Cross River State of Nigeria by the Federal Government of Nigeria to ascertain whether it was utilised for the purpose it was granted.
Yours sincerely
IFERE PAUL
(PETITIONER)
If we recall the same petitioner has filed a similar petition with the EFCC in view of the perceived fraud perpetrated through the Cross River Garment Factory Limited.
This brings to mind the nursery school piece I was taught to sing:
'There is fire on the mountain.
Run! Run! Run! 2x
A big, big, fire.
Run! Run! Run!'
Hmmmmmm… Wahala bin deh sleep oooooooo, nyanga go wake am.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven