Tag Archives: Ecological Fund

Osun appeals to FG for release of ecological fund

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Osun State government has appealed to the federal government to quicken the release of ecological funds to states to curb environmental disaster across the country.

The Osun state consultants on Urban Planning, Environment and Sanitation, Hon. Bola Ilori, made the call during his monitoring visit to Rasco bridge in Osogbo where dredging of water ways is going on.

Ilori blamed the recent flooding in parts of the state capital on massive and uncoordinated release of water from Asa Dam in Kwara State with direct consequence on Owala Dam that opened its gate for eventual flood that ravaged the town.

“The state was really shocked at the flooding that happened earlier in the week, we did not expect such level of flooding considering the efforts that had been put into dredging in the past five years.

“A critical study of the situation showed that the main cause of the problem was the uncoordinated release of water from Asa Dam in Kwara State that subsequently forced Owala Dam to open its gates which laid the foundation for the eventual flood that our people witnessed.”

“We have applied for the ecological funds and it is on record that Osun state has not earned 10kobo on ecological fund in the last five to six years since Governor Rauf Aregbesola came on board, yet we have dredged over 270 kilometres of waterway carting out 4.3 million metric tons of sand and debris in the last six years,” he said.

He stated that since year 2010 up to 2014, the state has been dredging the water ways but mid 2015 the dredging became a victim of financial situation.

He further disclosed that Osun have expended 2.8 billion on dredging of water ways over the period of five years, but last year till this year it has not really dredged anything because of the financial challenges in the state.

“And even out of the 2.8 billion we are still owing, over 35% of the money, we have not been able to pay all the money, that is looking at the issue of flood and erosion control on the Ministry of Environment side, apart from what Ministry of works have done in terms of concreting some water ways. The state has serious ecological challenges that deserve urgent support from the federal government,” he said

According to Ilori, the revenue mobilisation commission had upon evaluation of the state’s ecological situation recommended 12 billion naira for Osun September last year, but nothing has been released and if the money has been released the government would be able to pay their outstanding commitment and would be able to really line some of its water ways with concrete.

Jonathan Shared Ecological Funds To PDP Govs – Oshiomhole

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The Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday accused former President Goodluck Jonathan of favouring state governors elected on the platform of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, during his regime.

He specifically accused the former President of doling out N2bn from the Ecological Fund to each of the PDP governors without considering giving same to governors of the All Progressives Congress.

Oshiomhole made the allegation while speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting state governors had with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The state governors had approached Buhari on the need for the Federal Government to assist state governments to cushion the effects of the economic downturn.

Oshiomhole said they were lucky to have at this time a President they could approach on such issues.

He said it would have been impossible for them to approach Jonathan to seek support without being given lectures on fiscal responsibility.

The governor said despite Jonathan’s posture, wastage was more at the Federal Government level during his tenure.

He said Buhari was showing the difference the APC promised by accommodating their governors irrespective of their party affiliations.

He said, “We are very lucky to have President Buhari at this time. I have been here now for seven-and-half years and I have had the opportunity to work with three Presidents, that is the truth.

“Under the last President, it would have been impossible for us to approach Abuja to give us support because we have personal challenges.

“We would have been given lectures on fiscal responsibility and all those kind of talks, even though the wastage was more here (federal level) than any other place at that time.

“We now have a President who recognises that he is not just President of the Federal Government, he is the President of the federation of which the states are part and regardless of our political affiliations.

“This is very important. Everybody is able to ask this President to give him support and he is giving, whereas in the recent past, some PDP governors got N2bn from the Ecological Fund. We the APC governors were not given but we promised to be different and I am happy this President is showing that difference.”

When asked for his view on the proposed new minimum wage by workers, Oshiomhole who is a former labour leader, said, “I have not seen the document proposing a new minimum wage but believing in your judgment that it is a proposal, from my own experience there is always a difference between a proposal and a final agreement.

“Man proposes, God disposes and in the real world, nobody gets what he wants, you get what you negotiate. Any day any time, wake me up, I believe in a living wage.”

How Dariye Shared N1.2 Billion Ecological Fund- Witness

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The trial of a former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 23-count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds, continued on Tuesday with a statement he made in 2007 forming the focus of the day’s proceedings.

His trial before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Gudu, Abuja, commenced last Tuesday with the EFCC presenting exhibits, including the statement, as part of documents to prosecute the former governor for allegedly diverting N1.162 billion Ecological Fund meant for the state, to private companies and individuals.

In the statement, Mr. Dariye had acknowledged giving instruction to All States Trust Bank, (now defunct), on the disbursement of the said N1.162 billion fund, which had been released by the Office of the Ecological Fund and credited to the bank.

A document from the bank confirming the disbursement of the fund as instructed by Mr. Dariye was also presented in court.

In the document, the then state governor instructed that N250 million be paid to Pinnacle Communications Limited, PCL; N80 million to Union Savings & Loans; N550 million to the Plateau State government; N100 million to People’s Democratic Party, PDP, South-west; and N176,862,900 to Ebenezer Retnan Ventures, ERV.

Prosecution witness, Musa Sunday, who was cross-examined by G. S. Pwul, counsel to Mr. Dariye, told the court that the documents, including Mr. Dariye’s statement, were obtained in the course of investigations into the alleged diversion of the N1.162 billion Fund.

According to him, though during investigation the owner of PCL – a contractor with the state government confirmed the receipt for work done for the state, ERV was a company owned by the former governor, and actually got paid N160 million (instead of N176,862,900  as earlier instructed by Dariye) for no services rendered to the state government.

He told the court that during interrogation of Mr. Dariye, he admitted that the balance of about N16 million was shared between the then Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Nasir Mantu, who got N10 million, and the remaining N6 million given to the PDP in the state.

Credit: PremiumTimes

How Dariye Diverted N1.2bn Ecological Fund– Witness

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A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court was informed yesterday how, former governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye collected N1.2 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and did not deposit same into any account of the state government.

A prosecution witness and detective from the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Musa Sunday disclosed this yesterday when Dariye’s trial resumed after almost nine years.

Dariye was arraigned 2007 for various offences bordering on money laundering, abuse of office and corruption.  He pleaded not guilty to all the 23 count charge preferred against him but filed interlocutory appeals to scuttle his trial.
Dariye was then the governor of Plateau State when the offence was allegedly committed.
Before the case started yesterday, the trial Judge, Justice Adebukola Banjoko warned all parties that her court would not tolerate any application for frivolous adjournment.
In his evidence in chief, detective Musa Sunday, who was led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), informed the court there was a request from the UK Metropolitan Police which was referred to the Attorney General of the Federation with a petition to the EFCC.
The detective said the names of some banks were mentioned on the petition.
The letter of request from UK Metropolitan Police and that from Attorney General of the Federation’s office were sent to EFCC under its former chairman Nuhu Ribadu.
According to him, as the team received the letter, they moved on the request to the mentioned banks. “First we went to All States Trust bank where we met the manager who made the account available to us and we also collected the mandate card for the account which was opened in the name of Haruna Dariye as signatory to the account.
“The signature on the mandate was signed by the accused Senator Dariye. An officer in charge of the account was arrested by EFCC to assist the commission identify “Haruna Dariye.”’
According to him, “The circumstance in which the said account was opened in All States Trust Bank was suspicious because there was no picture in the mandate card. We confirmed that waivers were given to Dariye not to use his passport photograph.”
Meanwhile the matter continues today.

Credit: dailytrust

Dariye’s Trial Commences Over Diversion Of N1.2 Billion Ecological Fund

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The trial of Senator Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau State, before Justice Banjoko sitting at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Gudu, in Abuja resumed today after it was stalled for almost a decade.

Dariye’s trial started since 2007 following a petition received by the then Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) in May, 2004.

The accused Senator was in court as early as 8:30am and waited patiently until the first case was called in which the judge spent almost two hours reading a judgment.

The star witness in the case Detective Musa painted a vivid picture of how Dariye instructed the All States Trust Bank to lodge the N1.2 billion ecological fund for Plateau State into accounts that does not belong to the Plateau State government.

Credit: dailytrust