Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, has raised an alarm about a campaign by persons under the Commission’s investigation to discredit the agency and its leadership.
The Director Public Affairs of the Commission Mr Osita Nwajah made this known while reacting to a statement by the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, in which he criticized EFCC’s investigation of state governors and alleged corruption in the agency’s handling of assets disposal and plea bargain processes.
Mr Nwajah, while briefing journalists at the Commission’s headquarters, Abuja, said, Matawalle’s outburst was tantamount to corruption fighting back, as the governor is under investigation for alleged corruption that bordered on contract fraud and diversion of funds meant for the execution of projects in the local government areas to the tune of N70billion.
He added that the money was sourced as loan from an old-generation bank and allegedly diverted by the Governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed.
“The Commission’s investigations so far reveal that more than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state. Some of the contractors who had been invited and quizzed by the Commission made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting same to United States dollars.
“They confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara State but were allegedly directed to convert the monies paid to them into United States dollars and return to the State governor through some of his commissioners, notably the Commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.
“One of the contractors, a popular Abuja property developer, collected N6billion on an N10billion contract without rendering any service to Zamfara state. Another contractor collected over N3 billion for a contract for the supply of medical equipment but the Commission traced a payment of N400 million from his account to a Bureau de Change operator. The contractor confessed the payment was to procure the dollar equivalent allegedly for the state governor” Mr Nwajah said.
According to him, “What is at play here is a pure case of corruption fighting back. Matawalle’s outburst is a product of paranoia- an uncomfortable exertion arising from the heat of EFCC’s lawful activities.
“The Commission would like to put the nation on notice to expect more of the kind of wild allegations made by Matawalle as those at the receiving end of EFCC’s investigations fight viciously back”.
The EFCC’s Director Public Affairs explained that the attack by the governor Matawalle did not come as a surprise to the Commission, as it has become the trend for corrupt elements to attempt to destabilize the commission’s leadership during periods of political transition.
“These shenanigans are not strange. They appear to play out in cycles, particularly when the nation is in political transition. Virtually all the predecessors of the incumbent EFCC chairman suffered similar indignity at the hands of politically exposed persons under investigation for corruption. Who among the former chairmen of the Commission was not accused of pilfering recovered assets?”
He said EFCC’s investigation was the source of anxiety in Government House Gusau, “with the governor in mortal dread of his fate once he steps down as governor on May 29.”
Emmanuel Ukoh
