I Gave N100million to Suswam from State's Account Without Approval - Accountant Reveals
A
government accountantant in Benue State has revealed how she delivered a
staggering N100million to Gabriel Suswam without following due process.
The Justice Kpojime Commission of Enquiry in Makurdi was intimated
on how millions of naira were taken to Benue State's ex-Governor Gabriel
Suswam at the Governor’s Lodge in Makurdi, from the Ministry of
Finance, without following due process.
The Government House Accountant, Mrs. Janet Aluga, told the
commission that the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Ruth
Ijir, on April 10 called her to go and collect N100 million from a bank
for Suswam, which she did.
She said the permanent secretary asked her to deliver the money to
the former governor, who stayed in one of the governor’s lodges, adding
that after she collected the money, she handed it over to Suswam in the
presence of the cashier, Peter Ochoga and Emmanuel Aorga, now retired.
Mrs. Aluga explained that usually, after approval of request from
the government, monies were taken to the Permanent Secretary, Government
House Administration, but in this case, there was a directive from the
permanent secretary to give the cash to the governor.
The accountant said there were two ways the Government House used
to receive money for expenditure, approvals and security votes from the
Ministry of Finance or Bureau of Internal Affairs.
The witness admitted that the money she and her team gave Suswam was not acknowledged.
Another witness, Mr. Peter Ochoga, the Government House cashier
from 2009 to date, confirmed that he received N50 million from James
Agera of the Ministry of Finance and another N150 million from Zenith
Bank, Makurdi and gave the money to the accountant, Government House.
He said they drove to one of the governor’s lodges and the
accountant, Mrs. Aluga, entered the money and handed it over to
ex-Governor Suswam.
The accountant of the Bureau of Internal Affairs from 2008 to May
this year confirmed that she received N200 million from the Finance
Ministry on behalf of the bureau on June 11, 2010, and handed it over to
the then Permanent Secretary, Mr. Hinga Biem.
She added that she did not know the purpose of the money.
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