From Staff Writer
In a revelation that reads more like a blockbuster crime thriller than a government audit, a massive fraud scandal has erupted inside the Edo State House of Assembly Service Commission, shaking the legislative institution to its core.
A mind-boggling ₦43 million has vanished into thin air in what insiders are calling one of the boldest acts of financial mismanagement in the Commission’s history—all under the watch of its former secretary, Bar. Osahon Newton Ahunwan.
At the centre of the financial firestorm: ₦18 million paid for “sewage disposal” — with zero proof of trucks, contractors, or even a whiff of real work done.
A jaw-dropping ₦25.005 million in audit certificates mysteriously missing — only two out of fifteen accounted for.
And perhaps most shockingly, contracts were dished out to ghost companies, none of which are registered with the State procurement agency.
The current Commission, now led by Hon. Ezehi Igbas, has demanded Newton refund just 10% of the ₦18 million, a gesture critics are calling a “cosmetic penalty” in the face of such staggering allegations.
But this financial scandal is just the tip of a much uglier iceberg.
In what appears to be a ruthless purge cloaked in bureaucracy, multiple staff members were unlawfully sacked, demoted, or sidelined — not for misconduct, but for political disobedience. Former clerks Mr. J. Ohiokhuobo and Mr. S. Haruna were thrown out for daring to oversee the swearing-in of the now-infamous G14 legislators. The Commission has since reversed their dismissals and offered full reinstatement, promotions, and overdue salaries.
One staffer, Mr. Bello Saheed, was promoted twice — and still left in limbo.
Another, Mr. Ebegue Igho-Osagie, had two appointment letters issued in the same year — an administrative absurdity.
Even union leaders weren’t spared. Three PASAN activists, previously fired for demanding fair treatment, have now been reinstated by court order — complete with damages and promotions.
“This isn’t a clean-up,” said one senior official under condition of anonymity. “It’s an earthquake, and we’re only at the first tremor.”
Under Igbas’ leadership, the Commission has adopted a strict new regime: habitual absentees are now under surveillance, and the days of political interference in civil service affairs may finally be numbered.
Still, many are asking: Is this true reform, or just a showy sweep of low-hanging fruit? Will the Commission dare to follow the money trail into the corridors of real power?
With millions unaccounted for, contracts floating in the names of ghosts, and years of injustice now surfacing, one thing is certain — Edo’s legislative house is far from in order. And as the rot rises to the surface, more heads may roll.
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