Kpojime Commission indicts 52, recommends N107 billion refund

The Justice Kpojime Commission of Inquiry into the income and expenditure of Benue State from 2007 to 2015 has recommended that 52 individuals and 10 corporate bodies should refund over N107 billion to the coffers of the state government.

It also recommended deeper investigation and possible refund of over N44 billion.

These recommendations were contained in the report which Chairman of the commission, Justice Elizabeth Kpojime submitted to Governor Samuel Ortom at the Benue Peoples House, Friday.

She disclosed that during the period covered by the assignment, N1. 21 trillion accrued to the state from about 27 identified sources out of which N802 billion was appropriated while N219 billion was expended but not appropriated.

“Out of the total revenue that accrued to the state, only 15 per cent thereof was allocated to capital expenditure, while 85 per cent was for recurrent expenditure,” Justice Kpojime stated.

“The little amount allocated to capital expenditure was characterized by lack of due diligence in contract awards, contracts inflation, abandonment of projects after collecting payments as well as payments for jobs not done, while there were multiple payments for same jobs.”

According to her, the management of the huge recurrent expenditure was even worse as financial instructions and regulations were completely set aside, examples of which she said include outright theft of public revenue such as the payment of N3. 11 billion out of the proceeds of the sale of government shares, into a private account.

Receiving the report, Governor Ortom commended the commission for a diligent and painstaking job done within the time frame given to it.

He said he would set up a white paper drafting committee immediately; assuring that the white paper would be implemented to the letter.