MORE facts have emerged as to the sudden resignation of Edo State Commissioner of Investment, Public/Private Partnership, Mr. Dennis Idahosa as such exit has now been linked to circumstances surrounding his alleged involvement in fraudulent activities, popularly known as 419.
Edo state Commissioner of Information, Mr. Louis Odion disclosed in Benin today that Governor Oshiomhole had received series of petitions, mostly from overseas, alleging that Mr. Idahosa was allegedly engaged in fraudulent activities on an industrial scale.
According to the Commissioner, The petitioners, purporting to be his victims, alleged they had been swindled of huge sums of money, and that following startling findings from government’s investigation it became apparent to the ex-commissioner that he would be requested to answer the charges.
Barely twenty four hours after he attended a Mega presidential rally of the All Progressives Congress with his fellow progressives in Benin on Thursday, January 29, 2015, Mr. Idahosa pitched his tent with the People’s Democratic Party at PDP secretariat in Benin.
But the State government still wants him in the name of decency and justice and international image of Nigeria to come out in the open and answer the sundry allegations of 419 leveled against him.
Below is the full text of the Government’s statement:
Our attention has been drawn to spates of disinformation and untruths in a section of the media with regards to the sudden exit of Mr. Dennis Idahosa from the Edo State Executive Council as Commissioner of Investment, Public/Private Partnership.
For clarity, we wish to state that in the last two months, the State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, had received series of petitions, mostly from overseas, alleging that Mr. Idahosa was engaged in fraudulent activities (popularly called 419) on an industrial scale. The petitioners, purporting to be his victims, alleged they had been swindled of huge sums of money.
Disturbed and consistent with his zero tolerance for corruption or any conduct that might tarnish the image of Edo State or bring the country to international odium for that matter, Comrade Oshiomhole had late last year set up a high-level administrative panel to look into the grave allegations discreetly.
After weeks of forensic investigations, the panel’s findings were startling.
Last week, Mr. Idahosa became aware that the administrative panel was on the verge of formally requesting him to answer those weighty charges.
As a matter of fact, last Thursday (January 29), Mr. Idahosa had attended APC Mega Presidential rally at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium that was well attended in his capacity as Commissioner.
Curiously, he would dramatically reappear barely 24 hours later at the secretariat of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) announcing his defection.
We do not want to join the speculation that Mr. Idahosa’s defection was designed to pre-empt the report of the administrative panel or his action motivated by an external offer of protection.
However, in the name of decency and justice and international image of our country, we can only encourage Mr. Idahosa to come out in the open and answer the sundry allegations of 419 leveled against him.
Otherwise, the long arms of the law, though may be delayed by his new powerful friends, will ultimately prevail.
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