Financial Fraud: Monarch Fights To Clear His Name

A monarch is fighting hard to clear his name from allegations of financial fraud, heightened by his recent invitation by the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The monarch in question is the Okuokpellaogbe of Okpella in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo, Michael Sado, and is accused of financial fraud and personalised control of community resources, making the Ukhomuyo Council of Village Heads in Okpella, to petition the Benin zonal office of the EFCC.

In the petition, the villagers accused him of financial fraud, listing

1. Allegedly converting the entire Ukhomuyio Community into his personal estate.
2. Diversion of huge sums of money meant for the community from the natural resources in the area into his personal account.
3. disrespecting the people and usurping the constitutional powers of the Edo government.
4. Breach of the subsisting Community Development Agreement (CDA) between Okpella Cement Plc (Dangote Cement) and Ukhumuniyo Community.

Dismissing the allegations of financial fraud against his name,  he described it as a fight-back by individuals cut off by his administration from illegally accessing community funds.

He explained that prior to his ascension to the throne seven months ago, Okpella community hosting major industrial giants, and generating billions in revenue for Edo and the federation, lacked basic infrastructure.

He said he met a system whereby percentages of community revenue were indiscriminately shared rather than be channeled into visible developmental projects.

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According to him, whereas the community produces significant revenue daily through industrial activities, it had lacked functional water, electricity, and standard roads for decades.

His bid in stopping this, he facilitated a stakeholders meeting where the old order was suspended and a new order for the benefit of all was installed.

“So, I scrapped the revenue committee so that Okpella must move forward.

“I worked on our revenue and now Okpella generates about eight million naira every month.

“I don’t take any money from it; the money goes to security and other projects,” he said.

He lamented that Okpella, despite being big could not boast of Information, Communication Technology (ICT) centre, and that students from the community had to go elsewhere for infrastructure to sit for relevant examinations, saying this ought not to be so.

“I have not only used the community’s revenue for development but have also injected my personal funds to ensure Okpella moves forward,” he said, listing several ongoing and completed projects under his auspices to include the establishment of:

1. a Police Area Command in Okpella
2. a robust local security network.
3. repair of boreholes across various communities,
4. construction of a modern palace and a market
5. the establishment of a Microfinance Bank set to commence operations soon, and the completion of an ICT centre

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“I got approval for a Police Area Command. The building has been completely roofed and plastering is ongoing.

“Also, one of the Magistrate’s Courts in Okpella was using an abandoned secondary school.

“I approached the Chief Judge of Edo, who gave approval to build a Magistrate’s Court, an Area Court, and two Judges’ quarters. I have roofed them,” he said.

Sado also listed other projects to include the

“I am also working on a standard ICT centre with a 1,500-person capacity that will have 24-hour power supply.

“I also bought a standard drone that is being used by the police to enhance security operations in the presented evidence of ongoing projects funded by community revenue and other parts of Edo,” he said.

“In our tradition, money came to the royal father.

“I am the first to insist on an infrastructure committee and a Community Development Association (CDA) structure that monitors work”, the monarch stated.