EFCC grills ex-Gov Chime over N450m Diezani funds

Former governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime was on Wednesday grilled by detectives of the EFCC over N450 million he allegedly received for the 2015 presidential elections.

The money is said to be part of the $115 million cash allegedly disbursed by Fidelity Bank on the instruction of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke during the re-election bid of the former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He was grilled at the Enugu office of the anti-graft body for several hours before he was let go, but with a proviso to report back on Monday.

Sources at the commission said that Chime admitted to collecting the funds, but said that he handed it over to the Secretary of the campaign office, Mrs. Rita Mba, who was also the state’s Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Government Affairs.

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“According to Chime, the money was brought by two of his former commissioners, Joe Nmamnel and Mrs Rita Mba, in company with the Chairman of the PDP, Enugu State, Ikeji Asogwa, and Prof. Osita Ogbu.

“He further stated that he gave the money to his orderly for safe keep and that only Rita Mba should have access to it to facilitate her work as secretary of the campaign secretariat. He denied personally disbursing the fund,” the source added.

Chime now joins a list of politicians from the south east region of the country who have been called up to account for their alleged roles in the disbursement of the campaign funds, said to have been shared by Diezani.

It would be recalled that former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; Senator Chris Anyanwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ahamba; and a former Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, have been quizzed for their alleged role in the handling of N700m from the Diezani fund.

 

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