Agency arrests BGL boss, Okumagba, for N28.9bn fraud
In a bid to step up its anti- corruption war, the Federal Government has discretely released some funds to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to boost their operational capacities. President Muhammadu Buhari who approved the release of the funds to the anti-graft agencies has ordered the re- opening of some corruption cases pending in the courts since 2007.
Although the amount released could not be confirmed, New Telegraph learnt that the funds were meant primarily to enable the two anti-agencies to carry out diligent prosecution of cases involving some state governors who have been indicted for corruption.
However, the trials of many of the former governors have dragged on in various courts across the country either due to lack of diligent prosecution or frequent adjournments by judges. Many of the cases were instituted following allegations that the former governors diverted the resources of their states to private pockets and stashed huge funds in foreign banks. Pioneer Chairman of the EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in 2006 had presented a report to the Senate in which he announced that 30 out of the 36 state governors then had taken undue advantage of their offices and corruptly enriched themselves. Out of the 30, nine had been investigated and indicted while eight were still under investigation.
They were all later charged to court but many of these cases have remained inconclusive and their files have been gathering dust on the shelves of the anti- graft agencies.
New Telegraph learnt that upon assumption of office three months ago, Buhari had received briefings from the antigraft agencies where the heads of ICPC and EFCC blamed paucity of funds for the slow pace of their operations and inability to secure convictions on high profile cases. A source at the EFCC said Buhari had then ordered the anti- graft agencies to set up a special committee to review the various cases that have either been hitherto declared closed or just lying fallow.
Since the inception of the Buhari administration, the anti-graft agencies have beamed the searchlight on many former governors, including Alhaji Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Chief Ikedi Ohakim (Imo), Chief Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa) and Alhaji Ibrahim Shema (Katsina). “I cannot tell you how much has been released but it is true that our capacity has been boosted.
The committee is already working. It is the reason you have seen some actions from us in recent times. But we have not started massive invitation of these high-profile individuals because we want to build up very tight cases against them such that it would be difficult for them to escape,” the source said. When New Telegraph sought official confirmation of the release of funds at the ICPC, it met a brick wall as the Resident Consultant (Media and Events) to the agency, Mr. Fola Olamiti, declined to comment on the report.
Also, Head, Media and Publicity at the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, failed to pick calls to his phone to comment on the matter Meanwhile, ICPC yesterday announced plans to begin corruption assessment for officials at the Lagos and Abuja airports. ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said the corruption assessment was part of efforts to eliminate or minimise corruption at the airports. Represented by a member of the ICPC board, Mr. Isa Salami, he said the exercise was part of efforts to drive the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year between the agency and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
He said the choice of Lagos and Abuja airports was strategic as they were the major gateways into the country. Speaking when he visited FAAN headquarters, the ICPC boss said it was collaborating with aviation agencies and airport stakeholders to eliminate misdeeds at airports as a way of protecting the image of the country. He said the ICPC was carrying out a diagnostic study on corruption around the airports by tackling it from the roots and not the branches.
The anti – corruption drive, he said, would look at the processes, laws and procedures encouraging corruption from the grassroots. He said the team was in FAAN to remind its officials of the commitment it entered with the authority by sending its officials to swoop in on FAAN to see how its laws, procedures and regulations as well as documentation affected corrupt tendencies and how to tackling any untoward situation .
FAAN Managing Director, Mr. Saleh Dunoma, who was represented by Director, Administration, Ikechi Uko, assured ICPC of cooperation to stamp out corruption from the airports. He said FAAN was committed to the implementation of the MoU it signed with ICPC to eliminate corruption from the airports.