Following its earlier report on the bail-out loans given to some states in Nigeria, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) has explained to the Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, why it included Osun among states that allegedly mismanaged the loan.
The commission, according to a reliable source in a letter written to the Governor of Osun signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, with reference number ICPC/HC/161/1, stated that it is aware of the reaction of some state governments on the issue, hence the need for clarification.
The ICPC boss told Aregbesola that the essence of his letter is to clarify that the essence of the report which was done last year was done to douse the unsubstantiated allegations of misapplication of funds.
Nta emphasised that after its final investigations, there was no evidence indicating that the funds disturbed as at then, had been applied to any other matter apart from salaries in the state.
He stressed that the much reported report was just an extract of what the commission got from officials of government on a template provided by ICPC and forwarded to it in October, 2015.
The commission’s boss held that ICPC will, in its second report coming out soon following its updated information, confirm what has been disbursed by states after its latest discoveries.
He said: “The result of the monitoring exercise was published as a preliminary report with specific cut-off dates as a prelude to a second level monitoring to be carried out by the commission into selective issues discovered in the course of the monitoring.
“This report was published by several print and online media on Saturday 23rd April, 2016 and it is noted that the report had generated a lot of reaction from affected states, including Osun.
“The commission wishes to classify that the essence of the exercise was to promote transparency and douse the unsubstantiated allegations of misapplication of the funds.
“Kindly note that the report published by the commission is an extract of the information provided by the Accountant-General and Auditor-General of Osun State on a template provided by the commission completed and forward on 23rd October, 2015.
“This commission in the second report will confirm what has been subsequently disturbed after our last monitoring. As at the time we completed the exercise, there was no evidence indicating that the funds disturbed as at then, had been applied to any other matter apart from salaries in Osun State. We only stated the balances as at the date of our monitoring which has no been refuted”. Ekpo Nta wrote to Aregbesola.
He commended Aregbesola for the maturity with which the state reacted to the report without resorting to “name-calling”.
