Edo govt says decampee Commissioner left over fraud

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The Edo State government said Thursday its Commissioner of Investment, Public and Private Partnership, Dennis Idahosa, dumped the All Progressive Congress, APC, for Peoples’ Democratic Party, because of fraudulent dealings.

Despite Mr. Idahosa’s claims that he resigned due to the Edo State governor’s disrespect for President Goodluck Jonathan, the state said Mr. Idahosa, who had only assumed office as a commissioner four months ago, left after swindling unsuspecting victims of huge amounts of money.

The state’s Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Louis Odion, in a statement said, the governor, in the past two months received series of petitions mostly from overseas against Mr. Idahosa.

He said in the petitions, the victims alleged that Mr. Idahosa had swindled large amounts of money from them.

Mr. Odion said having received the petitions, the state government, had constituted an administrative panel to investigate the allegations.

“After weeks of forensic investigations, the panel’s findings were startling,” he said. “Last week, Mr. Idahosa became aware that the administrative panel was on the verge of formally requesting him to answer those weighty charges.”

Although Mr. Odion said the state government would not want to speculate that Mr. Idahosa defection was designed in anticipation of the report of the administrative panel or a motivation by an external offer for protection.

“However, in the name of decency and justice and international image of our country, we can only encourage Mr. Idahosa to come out in the open and answer the sundry allegations of 419 levelled against him. Otherwise, the long arms of the law, though may be delayed by his new powerful friends, will ultimately prevail,” he said.

Mr. Idahosa with some other leaders of the APC in Ovia South West local government area had on Friday dumped the state’s ruling APC for PDP.

Having accused the state governor of disrespecting and abusing the president and other political leaders, Mr. Idahosa said they left for the PDP to support the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The reason I am joining PDP is that I don’t agree with the way (state governor, Adams Oshiomhole) abuse our elders and President Jonathan. As a youth, I stand to support President Jonathan for the presidency,” Mr. Idahosa said.