Some ex-governors currently walking the land free
had better enjoyed their freedom for now because the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission has vowed to go after them soon.
Contrary to the widespread belief that the anti-graft agency had let go of the 2007-2011 set of governors, head of the body, Mrs. Farida Waziri, said on Wednesday that corruption investigators would soon swoop on the ex-governors.
Only the ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, and his deputy, Usman Nafada, were arrested among the top functionaries of the last administration.
Waziri, who spoke in Abuja when the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists visited her at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency, denied that her agency was selective, adding that she was only bidding her time to prepare watertight cases against the former governors.
“Nothing has been swept under the carpet. It’s like they say, once beaten twice shy. We are still working. We want to do a proper job of investigation before we arrest and prosecute,” she said.
The EFCC had, few months before the May 29 end of tenure of some governors, sent operatives after some of them. The states are Ogun, Abia, Imo, Nasarawa, Oyo, Gombe, Zamfara, and Kano.
While the ex-governor of Imo State, Ikedia Ohakim, handed over government to his successor, Rochas Okorocha, three days before May 29 and hurriedly left the country, Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State travelled out of the country on the eve of the inauguration of his successor, fuelling speculations that they were running away from anti-graft operatives
But Daniel returned to the country three weeks after, saying he had only gone for a “deserved rest.”
In a country noted for official corruption at a large scale, only few state chief executives leave office without the need to face anti-corruption investigators and courts. Most of the governors that left office in 2007 had either been tried and convicted, or are still undergoing judicial trials for corruption charges.
For example, Former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has known no peace since he left office in 2007. He has been charged for all manner of corruption and economic offences, including money laundering. And his trial has traversed about three continents---Africa, Asia and Europe.
He was a few days ago extradited from Dubai in the United Arab Emirate to London for the resumption of his corruption trial. He had escaped further trial by EFCC, which accused him of the alleged illegal disposal of 528 million shares belonging to Delta State in Oceanic Bank valued at about N44b, to Dubai last year only to be tried in the UAE country and extradited to London.
Ibori’s next door neighbor, Lucky Igbinedion faced a 156-count charge of money laundering, corruption and other economic crimes committed while in the saddle as the governor of Edo State. In a bizarre plea bargain, the EFCC slashed his alleged offences to only one. He was convicted on the one-count charge and Justice Abdullahi Kafarati of Federal High Court, Enugu, fined him N3.5m to the amazement of many.
Also, ex-governors of Abia, Plateau, Enugu states, Orji Uzor Kalu, Joshua Dariye, Chimaraoke Nnamani, among others, were grabbed and arraigned for sundry corruption charges immediately after their tenure expired in 2007.
President Goodluck Jonathan’s predecessor as governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was also detained in London on charges of money laundering in September 2005. At the time of his arrest, Metropolitan police found about £1m cash in his London home. Later they found a total of £1.8m ($3.2m) in cash and bank accounts. On his return to the country, he was impeached and in July 2006, he was found guilty of corruption by the court in Nigeria and sentenced to two years imprisonment.
By Olamilekan Lartey Courtesy Of: Punch
Contrary to the widespread belief that the anti-graft agency had let go of the 2007-2011 set of governors, head of the body, Mrs. Farida Waziri, said on Wednesday that corruption investigators would soon swoop on the ex-governors.
Only the ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, and his deputy, Usman Nafada, were arrested among the top functionaries of the last administration.
Waziri, who spoke in Abuja when the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists visited her at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency, denied that her agency was selective, adding that she was only bidding her time to prepare watertight cases against the former governors.
“Nothing has been swept under the carpet. It’s like they say, once beaten twice shy. We are still working. We want to do a proper job of investigation before we arrest and prosecute,” she said.
The EFCC had, few months before the May 29 end of tenure of some governors, sent operatives after some of them. The states are Ogun, Abia, Imo, Nasarawa, Oyo, Gombe, Zamfara, and Kano.
While the ex-governor of Imo State, Ikedia Ohakim, handed over government to his successor, Rochas Okorocha, three days before May 29 and hurriedly left the country, Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State travelled out of the country on the eve of the inauguration of his successor, fuelling speculations that they were running away from anti-graft operatives
But Daniel returned to the country three weeks after, saying he had only gone for a “deserved rest.”
In a country noted for official corruption at a large scale, only few state chief executives leave office without the need to face anti-corruption investigators and courts. Most of the governors that left office in 2007 had either been tried and convicted, or are still undergoing judicial trials for corruption charges.
For example, Former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has known no peace since he left office in 2007. He has been charged for all manner of corruption and economic offences, including money laundering. And his trial has traversed about three continents---Africa, Asia and Europe.
He was a few days ago extradited from Dubai in the United Arab Emirate to London for the resumption of his corruption trial. He had escaped further trial by EFCC, which accused him of the alleged illegal disposal of 528 million shares belonging to Delta State in Oceanic Bank valued at about N44b, to Dubai last year only to be tried in the UAE country and extradited to London.
Ibori’s next door neighbor, Lucky Igbinedion faced a 156-count charge of money laundering, corruption and other economic crimes committed while in the saddle as the governor of Edo State. In a bizarre plea bargain, the EFCC slashed his alleged offences to only one. He was convicted on the one-count charge and Justice Abdullahi Kafarati of Federal High Court, Enugu, fined him N3.5m to the amazement of many.
Also, ex-governors of Abia, Plateau, Enugu states, Orji Uzor Kalu, Joshua Dariye, Chimaraoke Nnamani, among others, were grabbed and arraigned for sundry corruption charges immediately after their tenure expired in 2007.
President Goodluck Jonathan’s predecessor as governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was also detained in London on charges of money laundering in September 2005. At the time of his arrest, Metropolitan police found about £1m cash in his London home. Later they found a total of £1.8m ($3.2m) in cash and bank accounts. On his return to the country, he was impeached and in July 2006, he was found guilty of corruption by the court in Nigeria and sentenced to two years imprisonment.
By Olamilekan Lartey Courtesy Of: Punch
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