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… Matawale entitled to his opinion -FG
From Fred Itua and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Zamfara State Governor, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has tackled the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over alleged castigation of state governors.
In a statement he personally signed, he wondered why the EFCC would openly declare that it had extended invitations to outgoing governors and commissioners to come and respond to alleged cases of corruption. He said while he welcomed the proactive measure of the EFCC, the process must be transparent and holistic.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Malam Abdulrasheed Bawa, in which he claimed he had 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 holistic 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.
“In furtherance of my desire to engender a broad based investigation and an enlargement of the fight against corruption, I will also demand that Abdulrasheed Bawa excuse himself and 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.
“Importantly, he needs to come clean with Nigerians on the way and manner he has prosecuted the anti-corruption fight. He needs to explain, among others, how seized assets by the EFCC 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 we will 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 doing so, merely giving Nigerians a comic relief from the present challenging times they are experiencing.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has responded to Matawalle’s claims. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in his reaction, simply said the governor expressed his personal opinion.
“The governor has the right to make suggestions, that is his own opinion.”
