The Secretary of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Mrs Abike Bayo-Ilawole has admitted that money was paid from the Commission’s account into her father’s bank account.
Mrs Bayo-Ilawole made the disclosure on Wednesday in Akure after appearing before the Code of Conduct Bureau(CCB) investigation panel.
Thefrontrank reports that the OSOPADEC Secretary was accused of diverting the sum of N463 million from the commission’s account into private accounts including her father.
She is being investigated by the CCB for allegedly diverting projects funds into individuals accounts, including:
Engr. Bunmi Filani = N311,270,527.00
Engr. Dare Oretan = N141,288,541.43
Mr. Andrew Kolawole Ikuesan = N10,504,539.87
Total: N463,063,539.82
Thefrontrank reports that Mrs Bayo-Ilawole is the daughter of His Royal Majesty Oba Andrew Kolawole Ikuesan, the traditional ruler of Obe-Nla Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who hails from Obe-Nla community in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state, recently appointed Mrs Bayo-Ilawole as Permanent Secretary in the state public service.
Addressing journalists, Mrs Bayo-Ilawole said the individual(her father) mentioned was engaged by the Commission as a contractor for a “long-term project.”
“The said project was a long-term contract. The person (my father) mentioned was a contractor at the time, and the amount paid was nowhere near what had been alleged.
“All records are available and will clarify the issues,” she said.
She stated that no fund was missing, maintaining that all disbursements were tied to duly approved projects executed in the Commission’s mandate areas.
“I was invited by CCB over allegations of misappropriation of funds amounting to about N463 million.
“I made it clear that nothing of such happened. The record will speak for itself,” the OSOPADEC Secretary stated.
According to her, the funds under scrutiny were released over time for multiple projects, including school renovations, transformer installations, and office refurbishments, particularly in riverine communities.
Others that appeared before the CCB were Biyi Poroye, the Commission’s Chairman; Engineer Olukorede Adeshina-Oladapo, Director of Project Planning and Development of the Commission; and Mr Dare Oretan, Deputy Director, Project Monitoring and Evaluation.
