Corruption: Councillor Raises Red Flag

* Unveil How Council Boss Misappropriated Millions Under His Watch
* All Looted Funds Must Be Recovered And Returned To Council Purse, Councillor Vowed.

Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba

Transparency and accountability is the hallmark of all democratic cultures, remove them from governance, the people, environment, sustainable development, peace and security suffers.

Hon Peter Chukwuemeka Nwosa in an exclusive media chat with Asaba Post News Wire Online waved the red flag about corruption tendencies trending at Oshimili South Council running into millions of Naira.

Hon Nwosa, until last week was the house leader, Oshimili South legislative arm, whose leadership was hell bent on tracking and monitoring many irregularities embedded in the income and expenditure records, the Oshimili South LGA Executive Chairman, Hon Comrade Uche Osadebe brought before his leadership at the council's legislative arm.

It will be recalled that the saying which goes forth in Nigeria, has it that "if you fight corruption, corruption will fight back" held sway in Oshimili South LGA and Hon Peter Chukwuemeka Nwosa is fighting that struggle with all its attendant consequencies.

Reacting sharply to a recent media publicity against his credibility and personality, Hon Nwosa discredited the pubilication as a product of mischief makers and those whose sole aim is attempts at discrediting credibility he counsciously built over the years.

Their sole aim is a target at my position as the house leader, Oshimili South Legislative arm, all around me knows that i am never power drunk.

If leaving my position as house leader will eventually bring lasting transparency and accountability regime in Oshimili South Council, like i had laid the foundation, then i will remain a happy man for the rest of my life.

In the said publication, it was alleged that i ruled with some high handedness, i just dont get it, within the period i was house leader, i still have all my votes and proceedings.

My enemies claimed i made rooms for finiancial recklessness, as a house leader, i never appropriated funds, so where did i misappropriated funds, instead i used my contacts to mobilize funds, with which the legislative complex was renovated with, so where did i misappropriated fund.

Rather, i used my networth to impact positively on the council's legislature, Hon Nwosa pointed out.

My people voted me to positively represent them at the legislative arm, am fully committed at doing that, am surprised that my fellow councillors who are supposed to join me at fighting council's fund looters, instead they are fighting me and celebrating with looters of our council's treasury.

So for a paltry N3 million, my fellow law makers sold out on me and the struggle for transparency and accountability, why will they be so cheap before the council's executive chairman, just to perfect the neferious act of that illegal impeachment, they brought themselves too low to the point of collecting only N3 million from the council chairman.

Indeed, Hon Oburota is treacheous and a power drunk fellow, am totally disappointed with him, Hon Nwosa lamented.

I am shocked that Hon Oburota Micheal Chinedu, for being too petty and desperate as to collect mere N3 million, just to cease my position, not minding the anti corruption struggles i initiated with him and other councillors, Hon Nwosa said.

He also shared with our reporter issues he found not comfortable with.

Hon Comrade Uche Osadebe lied under oath, the income and expenditure analysis document he presented to Oshimili South Legislative Arm under my leadership is completely different from what he presented to Delta State House of Assembly's public accounts committee.

Till date there are no constituency projects ever implemented at the ward level by any councillor, no councillor nor council staff had received any imprest despite all the funds in the council's purse.

The council's infrastructures are rapidly delapidating, with zero intentions at reparing them, Hon Nwosa decried.

He also shared "instead of my fellow councillors to look into the income and expenditure documents brougth before them by the council chairman, they are busy chasing shadows in the name of some illegal impeachment exercises"

I dont get it when i hear the council chairman publicly claim that he runs the council with his personal money, so what had happened to all the federal allocations and internally generated revenue that entered into the council's accounts.

The council chairman has zero respect concerning the council's  public governance system, he had never submitted the annual budget on time.

He is happy about the current mess our council is in right now as well as shame the legislative arm is into now, he is happy that they are dead now, which is his ultimate target, i see him as an unrepented sinner, all his assurance to Hon Oburota about increased preparedness to be open, accountable and transparent is false, Hon Nwosa insisted.

I refuse to become a rubber stamp house leader at the palms of the council chairman.

Posterity will judge us, i stand for what is right for the general good of my people always, that is why my people sent me to represent them at the legislative arm.

Do you know that no councilor knew, who the newly install  Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) consultant is.

The council chairman runs the council as his private estate, he has no respect for even the state governor, who had settled all differences in March this year, Hon Nwosa said.

If he knows that the illegal impeachment was right, why did he import heavily armed security opperatives to guard the council premises last Thursday, when he presented to the legislaltive arm his 2019 budget proposal documents.

You see, I cease this opportunity to tell them that they are only doing unpaid advert and image promotion for me, surly, I will overcome all of them, Hon Nwosa assured his admirers.

Of all that left Hon Nwosa bitter about Hon Uche Osadebe, nothing was more disturbing like what Hon Nwosa discribed as the council chairman's reckless misapproriation of tax payers's fund.

According to Hon Nwosa, between the period of January 2018 through March 2019, millions of Naira vanished without trace.

Within the period under review, the council chairman in his income and expenditure records made available to my leadership as house leader, claimed he spent N11,853,100 on travels and transport, which is of zero benefit to the council, not even one investment had the said trips attracted to Oshimilli South LGA, Hon Nwosa pointed out.

N51,756,075 was recorded as miscellenous cost, cost incurred without a single dime spent on any capital project within the council area.

His records also demonstrated that under same period, the council chairman also spent N24,890,000 on other services not specified, which is another miscellenous cost in nature, the law maker unveiled.

Under same period, N16,615,375 was cost incurred on unverifiable hotel costs for himself and to some supervisory councilors, far beyond what is due them.

The council chairman pocketed N6,200,000 for security meeting after collecting his statotory monthly security votes, Hon Nwosa stressed.

The legislative arm's request for N500,000 to procure the services of lawyers who will assist us to redraft our bye laws, which are almost obsolet fell on chairman' deaf ears, Hon Nwosa lamented.

As we speak now, over N100 million had disappered from the council's purse, as contained in the Income and Expenditure document, the chairman presented to the legislature, Hon Nwosa noted.

With all these capital flight, are we not supposed to had put on ground some major capital projects for our people? Hon Nwosa queried.

Impeachment or no impeachment, i am still a councillor duely elected by my people to actively represent them and that i have vowed to do and do very well.

I will never disappoint my ward members, our party members and the good people of Oshimili South LGA, their money must be accounted for.

All embezzelled funds must be recovered and returned to the council purse for pro poor people's development needs, Hon Nwosa assured Oshimili South electorates.

SOURCE: ASABA POST NEWS WIRE (ONLINE)