The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) does not have to wait on President Goodluck Jonathan before it decides to prosecute the speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties has said.
The group’s publicity secretary, Osita Okechukwu, yesterday in a statement queried the need for presidential intervention before a corruption case could be investigated and enforced. “CNPP had perused all the 41 Sections of the EFCC Act and the Acts establishing other agencies and could not trace any section which mandates any of them to report to the presidency,” he said. The group however stated that EFCC chairman, Farida Waziri, has no excuse to give Nigerians for her failure to prosecute not only Mr. Bankole and his cohorts; but others such as ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s involvement in the Halliburton scandal, and those who inflated the N63 billion Airport runways and other financial scandals..
Fighting corruption
The group, however, commended Mr Jonathan for stating clearly that the anti-graft agencies are independent agencies empowered by law to investigate and prosecute cases without recourse to him and indeed do not need to report to him. “We commend President Jonathan for this clarification, for Farida Waziri, chairperson of EFCC, had penultimate week averred that she had concluded the investigation of the N2.3 billion car scam in the House of Representatives, but had submitted the report to late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and was waiting for President Jonathan to settle before re-submission,” said Mr Okechukwu. “CNPP challenges Mrs Waziri to hit the road and prosecute ...Mr Bankole and indeed the entire leadership of the House for the monumental corruption, which had regrettably converted the House into a brawl riddled Trade Centre.” CNPP however warned that without a renewed war against corruption, Mr Jonathan’s pledge to actualize adequate power supply, free and fair elections in 2011 and Vision 20-20 will be undermined.
