Former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam has been asked to refund over N3billion, which he allegedly stole from the state coffers when he served as Governor between 2007 and 2015, SaharaReporters reports.
The recommendation was said to have been made by a panel of inquiry – a six-man commission, headed by Justice E.N Kpojime, and constituted by incumbent the Governor, Samuel Ortom, last July to examine Suswam’s tenure.
According to the state government white paper on the report of the commission, obtained by SaharaReporters, Suswam and officials of his administration were recommended for prosecution and declared unfit to hold public office for involvement in industrial-scale fraud and financial mismanagement in Benue State between 2007 and 2015.
The whitepaper, titled: “Government Views and Decisions On Report Of the Judicial Panel Of Inquiry Into Funds Accruing/Received And The Utilization Of Benue State Funds/Assets, 2015”, reveals the shady deals, outright theft, mismanagement and inefficiency among other indices of misgovernance under Suswam.
The whitepaper also recommends that Suswam’s Finance Commissioner, Mr. Omadachi Oklobia, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Ruth Ijir, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, be barred from holding public office.
It is also recommended that Ijir be compulsorily retired from the civil service. Others recommended for sanction include Emmanuel O. Atini, Asen Sambe, Andy Uwoukwu, Joseph Kpaakpa and Terfa Ihindan.
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