Controversy trails removal of acting ICPC boss

CONTROVERSY has continued to trail the removal of the acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr. Uriah Angulu, by the Federal Government, following his alleged determination to probe a N6bn alleged fraud at the National Judicial Institute. But a statement from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), on Wednesday, claimed that his replacement with a commissioner in the agency, AIG Abang Wushishi, was in order. It said, “AIG. Abang Wushishi’s appointment was made in compliance with the provisions of section 3 (4) of the ICPC Act CAP. C31, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which states that the chairman shall be a person who has held or is qualified to hold office as a judge of a superior court of record in Nigeria.” The statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the AGF, Mr. Ambrose Momoh, further stated that since the requirement also applied to appointments made in an acting capacity, it was necessary to guide against any likely challenge of the powers exercised by Angulu, who did not possess the requisite qualification. A letter from the office of the AGF had on Tuesday, removed Angulu as the acting chairman of the ICPC with immediate effect. But a source told our correspondent that Angulu was relieved of his position as a result of his refusal to back down on the ongoing investigation of the N6bn scam at the NJI. It was learnt that the probe into the fraud at the institute had tainted the top hierarchy of the judiciary, as Angulu was said to have refused to bow to pressure to stop the investigation. The source also told our correspondent at the headquarters of the ICPC in Abuja that Angulu had been firm and unyielding to entreaties to stop the probe. The source, however, told our correspondent that the office of the AGF lacked the power to select or remove the chairman of the ICPC if not for the power play over the NJI investigation. But Momoh confirmed the earlier position of our source that Angulu was not sacked, but only asked to step aside. “He was simply asked to handover to Wushishi as the acting chairman, pending the appointment of a substantive chairman for the ICPC. “By this, Angulu was expected to revert to his substantive position as a commissioner in the ICPC and nothing more,” he said. Momoh noted that the personal commitment of the AGF to the war against corruption was not in doubt, saying that the AGF had always demonstrated this in his actions in office. By Olamilekan Lartey, Abuja Courtesy of: Punch