Allege Diversion Of Project: Probe Gbajabiamila, Fashola Now – HURIWA Charges EFCC, ICPC

Civil rights advocacy group on the aegis of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to as a matter of national interest, commence the probe of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola over an alleged swap of constituency project. HURIWA said that the two anti-corruption agencies need not wait for formal petitions but should act based on the evidence adduced by a viral video.

It expressed concern that President Muhammadu Buhari went ahead in early January 2023 to sign into law the Appropriation Bill 2023 sent even when he observed that the document was heavily padded.

The Rights group said President Buhari ought to have sent his observations to the anti-graft agencies so that those responsible for the criminal padding of the budget would be arrested, prosecuted and sanctioned in line with the law.

These were contained in a statement by the National Coordinator of HURIWA, comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko

Noted that the allegations against Gbajabiamila and Fashola with regards to the Federal College of Education, Umunze in Anambra state, if found to be true after investigation, should be treated in accordance with the provisions of the law by the anti-graft agencies.

Onwubiko said that a viral video captured how that a project for the inner roads for the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze located in the Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, was found to be executed in the Surulere I constituency of Lagos State.

According to him; “In fact, the project board mounted at a site in Surulere listed the school as the client to a project in Gbajabiamila’s constituency; the project being the construction and reconstruction of inner access road in Surulere Olodi Okuta/Aralule Akinyele Street.

“The Speaker’s name was also boldly written as the project facilitator. The commentator who shared the video also showed graphic evidence to demonstrate that the said Federal College of Education that is purportedly the client to the contractors constructing the roads in Surulere has no functional roads just as the federal educational facility in Anambra State is in a state of dysfunctionality and poor infrastructure.

“It is scandalous and heartbreaking that Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola are being accused in this very viral video of allegedly diverting infrastructural development away from the South-East and denying the South-East its own quota of infrastructure.

“As shown in that video and as facts have shown that the Federal Government is currently renovating old state inherited federal housing in Surulere, Shitta Housing estate, parks in Surulere. In fact, Surulere has the highest number of street lights per block than anywhere in Nigeria.

“Nearly every compound has a street light. All inner roads tarred with well-covered drainage systems. All the State and Local Government roads in Surulere and Lagos at large are being done under the Federal Government under Fashola as Minister of Works and Gbajabiamila as speaker.

“Surulere has best public schools and hospitals. Same as the President’s hometown in Daura, Katsina State. Sadly, however, many federal roads in the South-East have been abandoned by the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Top amongst these roads include the Okigwe/Arondizuogu/Akokwa/Amichi to Oba junction federal road. But, in what sufficiently seems now like a deliberate ploy to destroy the South-East economically and socially as civilization often follows the road, these roads around the South-East were deliberately abandoned since 1999 till this day,” it said.

HURIWA also tasked the EFCC and ICPC to investigate what a competent source within the federal ministry of works called ORPHAN ROADS PROJECTS which according to the Rights group are the conduit pipes said to be allegedly used by officials of the federal government to line their pockets with filthy lucre off the back of the people of Nigeria who deserve quality and functional infrastructural development equitably distributed all across the federation