Thursday, June 28, 2007

No deal with corrupt ex-governors, says EFCC
From Lawrence Njoku (Enugu)

OPERATIVES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday dispelled apprehension that it might have struck a deal to protect former governors allegedly indicted for corruption.

advertisement

The commission said it would remain focused to its responsibilities, stressing that those indicted in its reports would still face prosecution.

The assurance came as thousands of Enugu citizens trooped besieged the Independence Layout, Enugu South-East zonal office of the EFCC to present a petition. They demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani for allegedly looting the state's funds while he was in office from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2007.

The protesters gathered from all walks of life in the state as early as 8 a.m. and marched en masse to the EFCC office under the umbrella of coalition of civil society organisations in the state, comprising men and women, young and old.

Receiving the protesters on behalf of the commission, Mr. Hyacinth Edozie (head of operations), who initially thought it was a gathering of youths praised them for the peaceful and mature conduct of the procession, promising that their petition would certainly reach the chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu.

He said that regardless of negative media reports about alleged complacency of the body over the alleged cases of corruption against some public officers, the organisation has not lost tempo in the processing of the cases.

"We will in no way turn back," he stated.

Rather, according to him, the EFCC had adopted a new strategy in handling of the Chimaroke Nnamani case and that of others.

He said: "There are many ways to kill a rat. You can kill it through the back or front or by any means, but the most important thing is that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that the rat must die."

Insisting that the EFCC still stands by its earlier preliminary report that indicted the former governor of gross abuse of office and corruption, Edozie pleaded with Nigerians to be patient with EFCC because "they want to close all loopholes about the cases."

However, he said that being on bail does not amount to be innocent. "Somebody is on bail does not mean he is free."

In the petition, the protesters demanded among others the arrest and prosecution of Senator Nnamani and all his lieutenants for the alleged looting of Enugu funds and other "economic crimes against the government and people of Enugu State and the entire humanity at large."