The Enugu State government has said it had recovered N1.27 billion from the Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, Mr. Olasijibomi Ogundele.
This followed investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the alleged diversion of funds meant for the construction of Smart Green Schools in the state.
The recovered sum, which was a part of the money paid to the company for projects that were ostensibly abandoned or substantially unexecuted, was formally handed over to the state government yesterday at the EFCC Enugu Zonal Office through a series of bank drafts and cheques.
Presenting the cheques, the EFCC Zonal Director in Enugu, Daniel Ise, said the recovery was in line with the agency’s statutory mandate to trace, recover, and restitute public funds lost through economic and financial crimes.
The zonal director announced that the recovery followed a petition submitted by the Enugu State Government, which prompted the Commission to commence investigations.
“As of today, we have been able to recover drafts to the tune of N1,234,350,000 and an additional N50,000,000, bringing the total to N1,284,350,000 for the benefit of the Enugu State government,” Ise said.
The zonal director attributed the progress made by the commission in its investigations to the diligence and professionalism of the officers handling the case.
He stressed that the handover did not mark the end of the investigation, assuring that the EFCC would continue to examine all aspects of the petition to ensure that every kobo unaccounted for is traced and recovered.
According to him, where evidence of criminality is established, the EFCC will proceed with prosecution, in line with the law.
“This does not mark the end of the case. We will look at every facet of the petition to ensure that every kobo belonging to the Enugu State Government that is not accounted for is tracked and recovered,” he said.
Ise urged contractors to adhere strictly to extant laws, particularly the Procurement Act.
The EFCC also reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with governments at all levels to safeguard public resources, warning that accountability in the execution of public contracts remained non-negotiable.
Receiving the cheques and drafts on behalf of the state government, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, expressed appreciation to the EFCC for what he called its professionalism, focus, and resilience, despite “distractions and noise in the public space” surrounding the matter.
Onyia said the recovery underscored the Enugu State administration’s commitment to transparency, traceability, and accountability, principles he said are central to the governance philosophy of Governor Peter Mbah.
The SSG assured the residents that the recovered funds would be reinvested in infrastructure projects to improve the quality of life of the people of the state.
“When there was a misalignment between our intent to use taxpayers’ money for development and what we saw in terms of delivery, we approached the EFCC to help us recover the funds,” he said.
“Today marks the beginning of that recovery process, and we are pleased with the outcome so far.”
Onyia announced that the state government had instituted legal action against the contractor and petitioned the EFCC, allowing due process to run its full course to avoid complications or future litigation.
The SSG said investigations were still ongoing, as he declined to pre-empt their outcome.
He reiterated the government’s resolve to hold all contractors accountable for projects awarded to them.
Onyia added that any contractor who fails to deliver value for public funds would face appropriate legal consequences based on the advice of the state’s legal authorities.