Findings indicated on Tuesday that a letter inviting Bankole to appear at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday (tomorrow) had been forwarded to his office.
It was learnt that the anti-graft agency took the step following a petition submitted to its Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri, by some youths last week.
Waziri, had while receiving the youths, assured them that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.
The youths had chronicled the financial atrocities allegedly committed by Bankole during his tenure as Speaker, urging the EFCC to probe him because no Nigerian was above the law.
They had noted that the case of the N2.3bn car scam and alleged “misuse” of the N9bn capital budget of the House for 2008/2009 were yet to be resolved.
According to the spokesman of the youths, Mr. Jumoke Ilyasu, the speaker has to account for his excesses.
Ilyasu had said, “Only recently, there were allegations that Bankole approved a loan of about N10bn for the House without any resolution supporting the said loan.
“It is public knowledge that the honourable members have not received their remunerations due to the inability of the House to pay its members following the withholding of their statutory allocations by the United Bank for Africa.”
Bankole had come under fire two weeks ago from his colleagues after the N10bn loan was blown open by a member of the House, Mr. Dino Melaye.
Melaye informed the House that the leadership took the loan without the approval of lawmakers, while the purpose for the money was not known.
He added that a commercial bank withheld the second quarter allocation of lawmakers owing to the loan.
“Though the Central Bank of Nigeria duly released the statutory allocation for the payment of allowances for members, the bank holds onto our money because of the indebtedness”, the Kogi State-born lawmaker told his colleagues.
He also accused the leadership of the House of being unable to account for the accumulated allowances of the 11 suspended but readmitted members.
The group demanded a probe of the matter and called for the removal of Bankole over the development which led to the inability of the House to pay the salaries and allowances of its members.
Reports had it that the House leadership had included the huge loan in its 2011 budget which was passed only on Tuesday by the lower arm of the National Assembly.
Last week, the House resolved to send a delegation to be led by Bankole to seek President Goodluck Jonathan’s assistance in raising funds to pay the salaries and allowances to the lawmakers.
An EFCC operative familiar with the investigation into the N2.3bn car scam by the House leadership said the case was still very much alive as a criminal matter was not time bound.
When contacted, the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed that there was indeed a petition against Bankole, which the commission was investigating.
“I am aware that a youth vanguard brought a petition to the commission last week urging us to investigate the matter,” he said.
He added that he could not speak much on the issue because he was out of the country at the moment.
Also, the Speaker, through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Musa Ebomhiana, said, “I cannot comment on that; there is no comment.”
It will be recalled that in the case of the N2.3bn car scam, Waziri had admitted last year that the commission had concluded investigation into the matter.
She, however, claimed that the report on the findings of the agency was sent to the Presidency rather than making it public.
Waziri explained that the commission was waiting for approval by the Presidency before making the findings public.
Meanwhile, Nnamani, a serving senator is presently in the custody of the EFCC over fresh allegations of corruption against him.
Babafemi, also confirmed this, saying he (Nnamani) is being quizzed by the operatives of the commission.
Nnamani, a serving senator, facing prosecution by the EFCC over a N5.5bn money laundering charge at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The former governor is currently facing a 105- charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement.
The EFCC has also launched a manhunt for the Chief Executive Officer of an oil firm, Facegood Oil and Gas, Mr. Clark Ejeren.
The commission is looking for Ejeren over a suspicious transfer of $5.3m into the account of the oil firm.
The anti-graft agency has also quizzed the managing director of the first generation bank that carried out the transaction for its failure to alert the Financial Intelligence Unit of the EFCC on the transfer.
The commission said it was seeking to question Ejeren on the business deal that fetched his company such a huge amount through wire transfer.
Babafemi confirmed that the EFCC was investigating the suspicious transfer.
By Olamilekan Lartey and John Ameh, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
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