General Manager of the Edo State Water Board, Engineer Monday Umane and four other top staff have been arrested by the Edo State police command over a missing N2.4 billion (US$ 16.3 million = € 12.9 million) including an US$ 18 million (€ 14.2 million) Paris Club facility to boost water supply to various parts of the state. The arrest was as a result of a letter from the office of the chief of staff to the governor, Mr Osarodion Ogie to the state police command to investigate cases of fraud of public funds.

The governor's Special Adviser on Public Affairs and Strategy, Eric Osagie said the report of the Assets Verification Committee revealed that huge sums were physically moved around. It also showed that the General Manager proposed and got instant approvals on water projects from Osunbor without the statutory due process of advertisement, tenders and opening of bids.

The governor is empowered to award contracts of less than N100 million (US$ 680,000 = € 538,000) without recourse to the executive council. It appears that contracts of such magnitude were treated with dispatch while those that were comparatively lower took longer times to get the approval of the governor.

Earlier, Oshiomhole had been notified that a US$ 3.2 million (€ 2.5 million) contract awarded by the state Urban Water Board for water supply for seven water projects was never executed.

Related news:

• Tanzania: Norconsult exits country to avoid corruption, Source Weekly, 24 Jul 2008
• Corruption in the water sector: overlooked threat for development and sustainability, Source Weekly, 18 Aug 2008

Related web site: Water Integrity Network

Source: Vincent Egunyanga, Daily Trust / allAfrica.com, 29 Jan 2009; Gabriel Enogholase, Vanguard / allAfrica.com, 22 Jan 2009

Tags: africa, governance, transparency