Matawalle to EFCC: Extend probe to Presidency, FEC members

Forum 11 months ago

Matawalle to EFCC: Extend probe to Presidency, FEC members

GOVERNOR Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, yesterday, warned the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, to stop castigating governors and beam his searchlight on the Presidency and members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC.

Matawalle, in a statement, urged the EFCC boss to ensure the commission’s investigation must be holistic and not selective.

The statement reads: “My attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, 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 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 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.

“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 explanation 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.”

Matawale entitled to his opinion —FG

But reacting to the call made by Matawalle, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the governor is entitled to his opinion

Asked to respond to the comment, he said: “The governor has the right to make suggestions, that is his own opinion.”