The Enugu State House of Assembly has summoned the Chief Executive Officers of First City Monument Bank, Ladi Balogun, and Inter-Switch Limited over the diversion of the state’s funds.
The summons was issued to the bank and service provider on Friday.
The Chairman of the Assembly’s ad hoc committee on the diversion of Internally Generated Revenue, Sunday Ude-Okoye, gave the directive in Enugu during a fact-finding meeting.
Ude-Okoye requested FCMB to furnish the committee with the details of the state’s IGR account domiciled with it from 2008 to June 2016.
Ude-Okoye also asked the bank to make available statements of transactions made with the state board of internal revenue, including cheque books released to the board within the same period.
He said the directive became imperative following petitions against the immediate past Chairman of the state’s Board of Internal Revenue, Chief Felix Chime, and other principal officers of the board.
The lawmaker said FCMB was the central revenue collector for the state, adding that Inter-Switch is a company that helps it transmit all collected revenues from other banks.
Ude-Okoye said the directive would enable the committee to get to the root of the allegations without bias.
He directed Chime and other principal officers of the board to ensure strict compliance with the directives given to the companies.
He appealed to officers of the revenue board to be meticulous in issues that relate to revenue collection, adding that the committee would do its best to ensure that truth prevailed.
The legislator warned that all diverted funds must be returned to the state coffers, if established.
Ude- Okoye ruled out the involvement of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at this preliminary stage, adding that the commission would only come in if the allegation of diversion was established.
In his submission, Chime said all actions taken by his board had the approval of the then state executive council, adding that the past administration was aware of their transactions with Inter-Switch Limited and FCMB.
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