Operating under the aegis of the Northern Elders Progressive Forum and Northern Professionals, the group condemned recent newspaper publications purporting the proposed moves by the anti-graft agency to reopen the cases of the ex-governors.
“While we commend the efforts of the new leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Mr. Ola Olukoyede in the fight against corruption, we have no doubts that the new EFCC boss will stick to the standard of the operation of the Commission.
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Operating under the aegis of the Northern Elders Progressive Forum and Northern Professionals, the group condemned recent newspaper publications purporting the proposed moves by the anti-graft agency to reopen the cases of the ex-governors.
In a communique, titled “EFCC revives 13 ex-govs N772bn fraud cases”, which was issued at the end of it’s two-day meeting in Kaduna on Sunday and made available to newsmen, Yusuf Abubakar, Chairman of the Communique Drafting Committee, stated: “We think that certain groups of political class, because of vendetta or other reasons, are cheaply using some media platforms to drag the anti-graft agency’s image into disrepute to achieve cheap and unpopular political scores.
“While we commend the efforts of the new leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Mr. Ola Olukoyede in the fight against corruption, we have no doubts that the new EFCC boss will stick to the standard of the operation of the Commission.
“However, we are dismayed with the recent reports titled: ‘EFCC revives 13 ex-govs N772 bn fraud cases’ in which it hurriedly published names of certain political leaders, and individuals with alleged accusations of amassing public wealth illegally without recourse to the due process and rule of law.
“The hurried publication has now become a big embarrassment to them, their families, political associates, and our dear nation in the quest for objectivity, a presumption of innocence, emotional, and moral psyche.We think that certain groups of political class, because of vendetta or other reasons, are cheaply using some media platforms to drag the anti-graft agency’s image into disrepute to achieve cheap and unpopular political scores.”
The group feared that the laudable goals of the anti-corruption fight under the present administration could be derailing.
“Whilst appreciating EFCC’s highly motivated operations and effective fight against crime and corruption in the country so far, it is pertinent to note that, the new objectives assured by the leadership of EFCC in the fight against crime and corruption under President Ahmed Bola Tinubu are about to be eroded by certain selfish group of political individuals with access to media and investigation in the commission,” the statement further read.
“The commission should not allow itself to become a tool of political vendetta, blackmail, or intimidation against any individual through personal grudges, persecution, and campaign of calumny to tarnish the image of certain personalities or any perceived political enemies of the characters hiding behind their executive power to unleash allegations through media for public consumption and sympathy.”