From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A group, Edo Civil Society Organization (EDOCSO), has warned the Independence Corrupt Practices and other related offences (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against selective justice in the prosecution of offenders in Edo State.
The group in their protest march to the two agencies offices in Benin, brandishing placards of various inscriptions that read thus “EFCC, use same energy on Yahoo boys on our public officials, “there is corruption in federal, state and the local government offices, “check them,” go after corrupt government officials and politicians “ respectively.
Addressing Journalists during the rally at the ICPC’s office in Benin, the Interim TEC Chairman, Leftist Austine Enabulele, said the organization had watched with keen interest the nonchalant attitudes of the agencies saddled with the responsibilities of tackling corruption but to their dismay, they are not living to their responsibilities in the state.
He said in the recent times, the group wrote to the ICPC’s office in Benin to investigate the alleged diversions of federal government palliatives sent to the various local government areas in the state by their officials but it failed to act on their petition.
Comrade Enabulele also said they had also asked the agency to investigate the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) still; nothing was being done about that.
Enabulele said it was unfair for the civil rights group to write petitions to the agencies, instead of acting on them, they were not forthcoming with any actions.
The Interim TEC Chairman of the group said if the two sister agencies can channel the same energy used in tackling the “Yahoo boys” on politicians and other office holders in the country, the country would be better for it.
Responding, the ICPC’s Head of Legal Department, Dennis Nnemeka Okoro, admitted that the office received the petition on the investigation of the diversions of the federal government palliatives sent to the various local government areas of the state and that the commission had sent it to its head of office.
He urged the group to exercise a little patience while waiting for the outcome of their petition.