Group to FG: investigate N2.5bn alleged fraud in CRBDA

Moses Emorinken, Abuja

Nine months after a report of the governing board of the Cross River Basin Development Authority (CRBDA) uncovered some irregular activities, the Vanguard for Transparency and Good Governance have called on the federal government to constitute a panel of inquiry to look into the allegations of N2.5 billion allegedly mismanaged by the agency.

According to a statement signed by the group’s Director General, Joseph Atainyang, the investigation has become necessary following the grave allegations of misconduct, misappropriation and mismanagement by those overseeing the agency.

The group said the response of President Muhammadu Buhari to the allegations has the prospect of determining the future of the anti-corruption campaign in the country.

Atainyang said, ‘’As has clearly emerged today, all known and unknown means are contrived in the agency to beat Due Process, by-pass regulating Laws and side-step Checks and Balances.

‘’It is thus very sadly to this end therefore, that the humongous resources (which runs into billions of Naira) that have accrued to the agency overtime, has been entering personal pockets in the current leadership headed by Engr Bassey Nkposong and supervise by the Minister of water resources, Adamu Suleiman.

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‘’We therefore call on the president to halt the activities of the Commission in its present manner, and the Presidency to assume direct supervision of the Commission and oversee effective reforms in it to make the Commission open, transparent and accountable.

‘’The Federal Government would be self assessing to set up an independent panel to investigate the weighty corruption allegations hanging on the necks of the CRBDA MD and the Minister. Until then, the anti-Buhari conspirators in the CRBDA and the Water Resources Ministry will continue to feed fat on public funds, while plunging the nation into continuous payment of foreign debts.’’

According to the audit report from the office of the Auditor General of the Federation, the CRBDA was alleged to have mismanaged funds between 2008 to 2015. The mismanagement was said to be via illegal disbursements, payments to incompetent contractors, abandoning critical projects and failing to get value for cash disbursed.