Alleged Fraud: Delta Gov Suspends Agric Commissioner, Others

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, has approved the suspension of the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Omoun Perekebena Perez, following alleged involvement in financial impropriety reported in his ministry.

The decision to suspend the honourable commissioner, barely few months after inauguration for agriculture, was advised by the need to have unhindered investigation into the matter, a statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Kingsley Emu, said yesterday.

Also affected by the  directive to investigate the alleged fraud are  Messrs Bennett Ezon-Abode Agamah, who is the  Permanent Secretary in the ministry; Mr Oki Preowei Yintareke, an engineer and Assistant Director, Agricultural Engineering; and, Mr. Gabriel Idiatacheko, who is Chief Accountant in the same ministry.

However, the three senior officers were ordered “to proceed on compulsory leave until further notice in line with Civil Service extant rules.”

The statement by the SSG explained that  the alleged fraud has to do with the ongoing greenhouse agricultural project of the state government being executed by the agriculture ministry.

“Arising from the outcome of the review of the implementation of the Greenhouse project by the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Governor of Delta State Rt. Hon Elder Sheriff F.O. Oborevwori has constituted a seven-man committee chaired by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kingsley Emu to investigate the claims and perceived infractions related to the management of the scheme by the Ministry,” the statement said.

It further noted the action followed “the interim report of the committee and in order to have an unimpeded access to information during the period of the investigations.”

However,  Emu pointed out that the measure was not presumptuous of guilt against the suspended commissioner and the other senior officers directed to proceed on mandatory leave till the conclusion of the investigation by the seven-man committee.

“The government’s action is in no way a presumption of guilt but rather a necessary measure to uphold the sanctity of the investigative processes already instituted, which is to ensure that the investigation is conducted without any potential for undue influence or bias”, the statement further said.

Throwing more light on the development yesterday, Delta State Head of Service (HOS),  Sir Reginald Bayoko, explained that the was nothing strange or new about the action of state government, saying it was simply bureaucratic routine.

Unlike the affected officers who are civil servants, the governor approved the immediate suspension of the commissioner because he is a political appointee.

Speaking in his office with members of the state Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ led by its Chairman, Comrade Ifeanyi Olannye, the HOS said that the state bureaucracy always adhered to the service extant rules and abhorred any form of administrative misdemeanour and financial impropriety.

Bayoko, however, implored media practitioners to endeavour to always adhere to the ethics of the profession that they subscribed to while “holding leaders and government accountable in the interest of Society.”

Nevertheless, THISDAY learnt that agriculture commissioner got into trouble by allegedly paying some funds, allegedly running into tens of millions of naira and meant for the aforementioned greenhouse project in the state into a private bank account, an action considered as illegal.