Politics

Matawalle to EFCC chair: Extend probe to Presidency officials, yourself

Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has asked the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, to extend the anti-graft agency’s planned probe to the officials of the Presidency and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Matawalle said only the outgoing governors and states commissioners should not be probed for alleged corruption, adding that those at the Presidential Villa in Abuja should also be invited by the EFCC.

The governor said this via a statement issued on Wednesday, May 17, in reaction to a statement credited to Bawa to investigate governors and commissioners for alleged corruption.

He noted: “My attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Malam Abdulrasheed Bawa, in which he claimed he has sent invitations to all outgoing Governors and Commissioners in a bid to commence investigation into alleged corruption and abuse of office perpetrated by them while in office.

“While this is appropriate and commendable because it’s important for political office holders to account for their actions in office and EFCC is imbued with the power of investigation, however, this power must be exercised judiciously.

“The investigation must be wholistic and not selective. It is in this respect that the recent invitations and pronouncement by the EFCC Chair is imbalance, incomplete, hypocritical, and unnecessarily skewed.

“This is counterproductive to the anti-corruption crusade itself, that is if Malam Bawa is actually committed to one.

“In a bid to help the obvious knowledge-gap and inertia exhibited by the EFCC Chair, the probe should be all-embracing and cover all officers.

“I demand that the EFCC chair extend similar invitations to officers of the Presidency and members of the Federal Executive Council, which is the highest tier of government in the country,” Matawalle said.

Governor Matawalle added that the EFCC chairman should also surrender himself for investigation, “as I and some eminent Nigerians have evidence of corrupt practices, breach of public trust and abuse of office against him and the commission led by him.”

He stated that Bawa must explain the way and manner he has prosecuted the anti-corruption fight, adding that the EFCC boss needs to explain among others how seized assets by the anti-graft agency “are being sold without adherence to due process”.

“He should explain, for instance, how he has assumed the role of the plaintiff, prosecutor, and jury and how he has executed his brand of plea bargaining with suspected criminals and saboteurs of the Nigerian economy and agenda who instead of being put on trial, are walking freely all over Nigeria.

“It is when the EFCC Chair does this and becomes open, non-selective and all-embracing with his invitation, that will we take him seriously.

“It is only then will serious-minded officers who have served the people selflessly and meritoriously and are not opposed to an examination of their books, and indeed Nigerians generally take him seriously.

“Without this, it is just a case of another person in government who has some explaining to do himself over allegations of corruption, high-handedness, and abuse of office now asking others to account, by so doing, merely giving Nigerians a comic relief from the present challenging times they are experiencing,” Matawalle stressed.

The Star