EFCC in Anambra: I’ll Drag Soludo There Over N12bn Ekwulobia Flyover, Secret Airport — Ubani
Politics
By Our Correspondent
A prominent critic of the Anambra State Government, Kingsley Ubani, has announced plans to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial irregularities in key projects and administrative activities under Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Ubani, in a statement issued on Friday, said the newly inaugurated EFCC Zonal Directorate in Awka would make it easier to submit petitions detailing what he described as questionable transactions and projects executed by the Soludo administration.
The EFCC Awka Zonal Directorate, which was official inaugurated on Friday, holds operational jurisdiction over both Anambra and Imo states.
Ubani stated that his proposed petition would focus on the N12 billion Ekwulobia flyover project, a proposed second state airport, public contracts allegedly awarded to inexperienced firms, and various road projects he labeled as substandard.
“Now I can easily walk into the EFCC office with a petition against the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, over his secret second Anambra Airport project, misuse of N12 billion of taxpayers’ money in building an unusable and dysfunctional flyover in Ekwulobia, award of contracts to inexperienced construction companies, and the delivery of substandard road projects to Ndi Anambra,” Ubani said.
He also alleged inconsistency in the governor’s policy stance regarding state aviation infrastructure, maintaining that Soludo had previously stated there was no need for a second airport in Anambra before embarking on the new project.
Furthermore, Ubani raised governance concerns regarding the Anambra State Investment and Development Agency. He alleged that the agency was empowered to raise and manage up to N200 billion without adequate oversight from the State House of Assembly, and claimed the state government has failed to constitute a formal governing board for the body.
The critic also called for an investigation into an alleged N100 million transfer from the state treasury to a private bank account belonging to the son of a former Inspector-General of Police, which he claimed was executed in four separate tranches of N25 million.
Reacting to the inauguration ceremony, Ubani questioned the governor’s participation in the event.
“I’m excited that EFCC now has a division in Anambra, but I’m not excited that it’s being commissioned by someone that the agency should be investigating,” Ubani said.
When reminded of the constitutional immunity enjoyed by sitting state executives under Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution, Ubani replied, “Not for long!”
“I thank the EFCC and everyone who facilitated the new branch for making it easy for Professor Chukwuma Soludo to be investigated and prosecuted after his tenure in office,” he added.
Speaking at the inauguration on Friday, Governor Soludo welcomed the commission to Anambra and pledged his administration’s full cooperation.
The governor emphasized that establishing the anti-graft office in Awka should not be interpreted as an indication that Anambra citizens are prone to criminality, but rather as part of broader national efforts to decentralize financial crime prevention.
“We are enthusiastic and excited to ensure that there is EFCC in Anambra here, not because our people are into crime, but because fighting crime is everybody’s responsibility,” Soludo said, adding ,“Ideally, the EFCC should be in all 774 local government areas of the country.”
He added that economic and financial crimes undermine structural development, assuring that his administration would proactively partner with the commission in revenue administration, tax compliance, and public sector training.
“We will cooperate with you in every way possible to make sure that your work goes well,” Soludo said. “We will not wait until you come looking into our books; we will come knocking because we need your help in the areas of revenue, tax, and training.”
Soludo also recounted his personal experience with the agency following his tenure as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He explained that two to three years after leaving office, the EFCC investigated a subsidiary agency where he had served as board chairman.
According to the governor, he honoured a formal invitation to clarify matters and was later officially cleared by the commission after thorough investigations established no wrongdoing.
“I deeply appreciate that sense of professionalism, because when you invite and investigate people, and the result is nothing, they deserve a clear response,” Soludo said.
Also speaking at the event, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede reiterated that the Awka Zonal Directorate was established to safeguard local economies and assist state institutions in identifying fiscal vulnerabilities, rather than to engage in political victimization.
He noted that expanding operations to Awka is intended to bring the anti-graft agency closer to grassroots economic activity, while strengthening its institutional capacity to prevent and investigate financial crimes in the region.
