By Sebastine Ebhuomhan
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a civil servant, Eseosa Morgan Ewere, for simultaneously receiving salaries from two public establishments in gross violation of anti-corruption laws.
Following a detailed investigation, the commission uncovered that Mr. Ewere had been simultaneously drawing salaries from two separate government entities: the University of Benin (Federa Government), where he was originally employed as a security staff and the Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area (Local Government), where he was subsequently appointed as an aide to the former governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
A former official member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to Obaseki and the party candidate candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo, Ewere is the founder and publisher of a so-called investigative blog, Gidigba Group News, solely funded by the former governor and his faction to attack and discredit the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Monday Okpebholo, and his administration. He also launched a magazine as Ikpoba Okha spokesman. On 2nd July, he announced his defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Ewere’s criminal act, which contravened the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, resulted in the illegal accumulation of N1,328,255.4k in unearned payments.
At the end of its detailed, painstaking investigation, the ICPC, through its prosecutor, Dennis Nnaemeka Okoro, charged Ewere with two counts of obtaining by false pretence and cheating under Sections 419 and 421 of the Criminal Code Act 2004.
Filed before the Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin, in Charge No. B/CD/ICPC/2C/2024, the case obtained necessary administrative approvals for prosecution.
One of the counts read: “That you, Mr. Ewere Morgan Eseosa (M), between September 2018 to February 2021 or thereabout in Benin City within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by false pretense and with intent to defraud, obtained employment at Ikpoba Okha Local Government Council Edo State as a special assistant (Press Secretary) without disclosing that you were at the material time working at the University of Benin, as a Security Officer 11 (step 2 of CONTISS 07) on full time and thereby mislead Ikpoba Okhia Local Government Council Edo State into giving you employment and thereby obtained double emolument from September 2018 to February 2021.”
During the trial, the defendant entered into a plea bargain agreement with the prosecution that resulted in the amendment of the initial two-count charge to one. Thereafter, the defendant pleaded guilty to the one-count amended charge, an agreement that allowed him not to become a prisoner after his conviction.
In line with the plea bargain, Ewere was sentenced to one-year imprisonment or a fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only). He opted to pay the fine rather than being imprisoned.
The trial judge, Justice Williams Aziegbemhin, also ordered the convict to refund to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the ICPC Recovery Account, the sum of N1,328,255.4k, which he fraudulently received as salaries during the time.
It is yet unknown how the criminal conviction would impact either the life and activities of Ewere, who has been very critical, disrespectful, and abusive of the Office of the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, in order to please his pay masters or his online publication, the Gidigba Group News.
What is known, however, is that his conviction points to some of the characters of people the immediate past governor appointed as aides.
Discussion about this post