Stories by Vivian Okejeme Abuja
A former Commissioner for Special Duties in Enugu state, Ms Rita Mbah, has revealed how about N37.4 million was allegedly given to INEC offi cers nationwide out of about N450million from the Presidential Campaign Committee during the build-up to the 2015 general election.
Mba, who served under the Sullivan Chime administration, said the then People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led government constituted a campaign organisation termed “Enugu Movement for Jonathan” and made the secretary.
She further revealed, among other releases, the disbursement of monies to one Dr. Uzo, who was given about N37.5 million broken down as follows: N17million was given to INEC Electoral Offi cers in the 17 Local Government Areas in the State, N12.750million for 51 Electoral Offi cers at N250, 000 per person and N1.250million to disburse to 21 INEC Unit Heads at N50, 000 per person.
Th e former commissioner also claimed N500, 000 was set aside for INEC Legal Staff , N2million for INEC HOD, N2million for INEC Admin Secretary, N500, 000 for Voter Education, N100,000 for the committee’s Finance and Account and N1.3million as impress for her committee.
In her letter to the EFCC Chairman, Ms Mba said prior to her medical trip abroad for a serious surgery on her spine, she had written to the EFCC, Enugu Zone, detailing the disbursement of the said N450million by Chime, her former boss.
She expressed worry that not a single arrest has been made by the EFCC over fi ve weeks after the receipt of the said letter, notwithstanding the revelations made to it. She alleged that the EFCC, Enugu zone, rather than inviting the alleged benefi ciaries of the funds allegedly disbursed personally by the former governor, e continued to invite, arrest, detain, harass, intimidate, humiliate and victimise her.
Mba therefore appealed to the acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, to transfer the investigation into the disbursements from the zone to its Abuja Head offi ce on allegation of compromised investigation, among others. She alleged through her lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), in a letter to the EFCC boss that she has totally lost confi dence in the “neutrality and impartiality of the Enugu Zonal Offi ce, given their palpable compromise and bias” and urged the transfer of the case from Enugu Zonal Offi ce to Abuja for proper investigation.
Ozekhome said: “Th at you use your good offi ces to immediately unseal our client’s personal house as she has been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment by offi cers of your Commission in Enugu Zone, leaving in rented apartment. “Th at you urgently investigate the activities of your staff in Enugu Zonal offi ce, as it is now common knowledge within the region, that they have a proclivity towards compromising the high neutral standards set by the Commission, by allowing monetary inducement and societal positions to determine the outcome of matters reported to them.
Th at you immediately constitute an unbiased and uncompromised investigating team to investigate the receipt and disbursement of the sum of N450 million.”
