‘Go After Buhari’s Cabinet Members’, Matawalle Issues Strong Challenge To EFCC

• Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State calls on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to extend their investigation beyond outgoing governors and commissioners to include officials at the Presidential Villa and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

• Matawalle emphasizes the importance of an impartial investigation and urges the EFCC chairman to ensure that all individuals involved in corruption are held accountable

• The governor questions the EFCC chairman’s approach, highlighting the need for transparency and equal scrutiny of all officers implicated in corrupt practices.

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has issued a strong challenge to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), urging them to broaden their investigation to encompass not only outgoing governors and commissioners but also officials working within the Presidential Villa and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Matawalle expressed his views in response to a statement made by Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of the anti-graft agency, indicating that invitations had been sent to all outgoing governors and commissioners as part of an ongoing probe.

While commending the EFCC’s initiative to hold political officeholders accountable for their actions, Matawalle emphasized the necessity of conducting a comprehensive and unbiased investigation.

He voiced concerns that the current approach appeared imbalanced, incomplete, and unnecessarily skewed, thereby undermining the overall anti-corruption efforts.

The governor stressed the need for fairness and non-selectivity in scrutinizing all relevant officials implicated in corrupt practices.

In his statement, Matawalle called upon the EFCC chairman to extend similar invitations to officers serving within the Presidency and members of the Federal Executive Council, highlighting that they constitute the highest echelons of government.

The governor also expressed his personal knowledge of corrupt practices, breaches of public trust, and abuse of office involving the EFCC chairman and his commission.

Matawalle questioned the chairman’s role, raising concerns about his simultaneous roles as plaintiff, prosecutor, and jury, as well as his handling of plea bargaining with suspected criminals and economic saboteurs who continue to evade trial.

Matawalle stressed the importance of the EFCC chairman adopting an open, non-selective, and all-encompassing approach to issuing invitations.

He asserted that only through such transparency and impartiality would the EFCC chairman be taken seriously by dedicated officers who have faithfully served the public and are willing to subject their records to scrutiny.

The governor emphasized that without a fair and inclusive investigation, the ongoing situation would merely provide comic relief to Nigerians, who are currently grappling with significant challenges.

As the call for an unbiased investigation into corruption allegations grows louder, it is crucial for the EFCC chairman to address these concerns and ensure that the principles of transparency, accountability, and justice are upheld.

A thorough and impartial inquiry will not only strengthen the fight against corruption but also restore public confidence in the anti-graft agency.

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

“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.“

“He should explain, for instance, how he has assumed the role of the plaintiff, prosecutor, and jury and how he has executed his brand of plea bargaining with suspected criminals and saboteurs of the Nigerian economy and agenda who instead of being put on trial, are walking freely all over Nigeria.

“It is when the EFCC Chair does this and becomes open, non-selective and all-embracing with his invitation, that will we 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 explaining 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.”