By Adeniyi Adedeji, Ilorin
About 1,000 alleged ghost workers have been uncovered by the Ilorin Zone of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The ghost workers were discovered to have been on the payroll of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, KWSUBEB, for quite some time.
EFCC Zonal Head for the zone, Mallam Isyaku Sharu, disclosed this in Ilorin on Thursday, while speaking with newsmen on the commission’s achievements during the lockdown, occasioned by the coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic.
Sharu said that the global health challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic should not be seen as an impediment to the fight against corruption; adding that the zone would live up to its responsibilities by discharging its duties with strict adherence to social restriction guidelines as spelt out by the Presidential Task Force, PTF, on COVID-19.
Revealing that the anti-graft agency also made additional cash recovery of more than N138 million from alleged treasury looters, for the state, Sharu said, “You recall that the zone had earlier handed over N374 million to the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak, on two occasions.
“The zone has also uncovered alleged diversion of about N750 million from the Light Up Kwara Project. Funds for the project, worth about N72 million, was used in purchasing a property in Guzape area of Abuja.”
Sharu said another achievement by EFCC within 16 months of its operations in Kwara State included the interim forfeiture of eight different residential buildings within Ilorin, the state capital; worth millions of naira, and another two other residential buildings in Ikoyi, Lagos State.
He said the commission also secured 52 convictions with final forfeitures of some number of vehicles.
Assuring the public that the commission would not relent in its efforts to bring sanity to the society by investigating, arresting and prosecuting corrupt individuals; Sharu appealed to the people of the zone to continue to support the EFCC in achieving this goal.
