ICPC quizzes Oyo Acct General, commissioners - Over Mapo Hall project - ICPC on fact-finding mission – Oyo govt

From Lanre Adewole and Adeolu Adeyemo - 07.02.2008

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday quizzed Oyo State Accountant-General and Commissioners for Works and Finance.

As at press time, they had left the commission’s Ibadan office in Bodija. An informed commission source told the Nigerian Tribune that they were summoned on orders from the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

They were reportedly quizzed over some projects being executed by the administration of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, especially the Mapo Hall project.

Nigerian Tribune source revealed that investigators from the headquarters, led by a Superintendent of Police, are handling the matter in Ibadan.

The investigators reportedly arrived in the state capital on Tuesday. The commission’s spokesman, Mr. Folu Olamiti, confirmed the development.

According to him, “we have our men on ground in the state working, but they have not briefed the headquarters on what they are doing and their findings.”

Reacting to the development, the governor’s Special Adviser on Public Communication, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the invitation of the three government officials was on a fact finding mission to the state.

According to Oyelade, “questions were fielded by the officials on anonymous petitions by faceless individuals.” He said that the government officials went with evidences indicating that due process was followed in executing the projects, adding that they subsequently invited the ICPC officials for on-the-spot assessment of the Mapo Hall edifice tomorrow.