Ondo: ICPC Report On Bailout Fund Misleading – Mimiko

Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has frowned at the report of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, which claimed that the State did not make use of N1,537,575.050.32 of the N9.4bn bailout given to it by the Federal Government to clear worker’s salaries.

The governor, who spoke through his Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, on Tuesday, said the report by the ICPC was misleading, calling on the anti-corruption agency to retract the report.

The governor explained that his administration added N50m to the N9.4bn received from the Federal Government before it could meet the payment of outstanding salary arrears till June 2015.

Mimiko further said all relevant documents and bank transfers on the money disbursed were given to the ICPC officials that came to monitor the disbursement.

He said, “Each claim of payment was investigated and confirmed to be true by the ICPC investigating team and at the end of its visit, the government was commended for its effective, clinical and accurate disbursement of the said bailout.”

He also stated that the labour union leaders in the state were properly hinted and that they approved of the disbursement process.

Mimiko said, “It is unimaginable that a government that is paying the highest minimum wage to its workers in the country against all odds, would divert a loan given it to enable it fulfil its monthly obligation to the same workers, following the near collapse of the nation’s economy which has made the obligation challenging.”