Former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has been placed on the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Sources reveal that the anti-graft agency has started investigating transactions, including contracts awarded during Obaseki’s administration.
Obaseki, who completed his eight-year tenure on November 12, had earlier stated that the EFCC planned to arrest him once he left office.
The new Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has since established a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee tasked with probing Obaseki’s administration.
Additionally, the EFCC on November 2 detained five officials who served under Obaseki, including the Accountant General, Julius Anelu, over significant withdrawals from the state treasury within a brief period.
Obaseki, however, declared on November 8 that he had no fears regarding an EFCC investigation. He affirmed his readiness to cooperate with the anti-graft agency and account for his time in office.
Insiders at the EFCC, speaking anonymously as they were unauthorized to comment publicly, disclosed that so far, many financial transactions under Obaseki’s administration have not been directly linked to him.
One source explained, “An investigation has commenced on his administration. He can’t just be invited until the work has got to a certain stage. Some team of crack investigators have been assigned to the case and have been trying to unravel some of the transactions including contracts awarded under his administration.
“The bulk of the transactions, you can’t trace it to him. He made use of others. There have been leads which we have been following and we hope to get something substantial.”
When asked about Obaseki’s watch-listed status, another source clarified that all former governors are routinely monitored by the EFCC.
“All former governors are always on the commission’s watch list whether the commission has something with the fellow or not. We are not going to allow them to jet out of the country and then start going after them when we need them. So that is why we always place all of them on our watch list,” the source said.
Efforts to contact EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered. He also had not responded to a text message sent to him regarding the matter at the time of this report.
