Governor diverts N500m refund to repay his loan

Detectives have recovered N500million allegedly diverted by a governor from the London-Paris Club loan refund.

The governor diverted the N500million (out of his state’s share of the N19b first tranche) to a mortgage bank but the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) tracked and secured the cash.
Besides, two firms have refunded N220million of the N3.5billion traced to some aides of Senate President  Bukola Saraki.


But the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) insists it was not within its purview to determine how Melrose General Services Limited spent its share of the N3.5billion consultancy fees. The company  yesterday said it was not involved in any N3.5billion scandal.

It said it executed the consultancy awarded it in line with global best practice.

EFCC traced N2.2billion payment to another consultant, which allegedly gave the yet unnamed governor N500million.The governor directed that the cash should be transferred to a mortgage bank where he was indebted to the tune of N800million.

The governor used the “cash-at-hand” to defray his debts with a waiver by the mortgage company.

A source close to the investigation said:

“Of the N19billion, we discovered that a consultant brought by the North-West governor was paid N2.2billion. From the N2.2billion, the governor got N500million.


“He then instructed that the N500million be transferred to the mortgage bank where he had borrowed money to buy two properties in 2013 and was unable to pay. The debts accumulated to N800million but with N500million cash-at-hand, the governor renegotiated the debts and used the cash to defray his liabilities.”

According to the source, the mortgage bank decided to refund the N500million to the EFCC.

 “We have all the evidence of the recovery in our records,” he said.

The two companies which refunded about N220million out of the N3.5billion consultancy fees in which some aides of the Senate President were implicated, are Wasp Networks and Thebe Wellness Services

But, the NGF yesterday said it had no business with how Melrose spent the N3.5billion consultancy fees it paid to the company.

It, however, confirmed that the company was one of its consultants on the London-Paris Club loan refund.

The Nation