Dare Olipede,
the Permanent Secretary in the Local Government Board and Pension Transition in
Ondo state has disclosed that those opposed to his promotion wrote a fresh
petition against him which led to his arrest last weekend.
He spoke
while reacting over his arrest by the combined operatives of the Police Special
Fraud Unit following a petition written against him over allegations of fraud
and embezzlement of funds.
SaharaReporters
had reported that Olipede who was promoted as a Permanent Secretary on November
17, 2017, was accused of conniving with some council officials to pocket the
sum of N60 million meant for the council.
Mr. Oliepde
denied engaging in any shady deal with the fund claiming that with his twenty
years of service in the state noting that the petition written to the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices
Commission (ICPC) were properly investigated and found to be lacking merit.
He noted
that the two anti-graft agencies found him innocent of all the allegations in
the petition and some projects executed in Owo Local Government during his
tenure as Director of administration.
“When a
petition came, principal officers of the local government were invited to the
office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and explanation
was made satisfactorily and the case was closed.
“This same
group of people wrote another petition to Independent Corrupt Practices
Commission (ICPC) and the state government, and an investigation was also
conducted and no one was found guilty.
“Then, as a
former Director of Local Government, I am not a spending officer and my
schedule covers supervision of council activities and signing of cheques.
“Those who
actually expended the money are the Head of Works Department, the Head of
Finance Department and the Head of Environmental Department”.
Olipede
later confirmed that the N60 million Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment
Program [SURE-P] fund was given to all the 18 Local Government Areas of the
state before the 2016 gubernatorial election by the last administration for
some capital projects.
According to
him, the fund was expended on some visible projects in the local government
with the aid of direct labour and the local contractors in Owo area of the
state.
"The
government of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko gave each Local government N60million in
October 2016 for the execution of capital projects in all the 18 local
government areas of Ondo state and in Owo Local Government where I was working
then, the N60million was judiciously utilized.
"This
N60million was spent on visible projects in Owo Local government which included
the construction of over 1000 meters line drainages in the nooks and crannies
of Owo local government, construction of cow market, evacuation of refuse dumps
in the nooks and crannies of Owo Local government.
"In
fact, the House of Assembly of Ondo state in their oversight function in
December last year, visited Owo local government among other local governments
in the state and adjudged Owo local government as the best local government
that utilized the N60million SURE-P fund judiciously”.
He also
noted that he was promoted to the position of Permanent Secretary in the state
workforce after the government had properly investigated and found no fault in
his activities and personality.
“It is the
handiwork of my adversaries, known and unknown. God has lifted me as a
permanent secretary because a man cannot receive anything unless it is given to
him from above.
“So, in view
of the above, it is a high level of mischief for anyone to have alleged me of
any fraudulent activity or shady deal”. Mr. Olipede said.
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