Zamfara state Governor, Bello Matawalle has called on men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) not to limit their corruption probe to state governors alone, but to extend it to officials of the Presidency and members of the executive council.
The Governor related this in a statement released on Wednesday, May 17, while reacting to a report on corruption. The Chairman of the EFCC, Abdul Rasheed Bawa, had earlier revealed that the agency had sent invitations to all outgoing state governors and commissioners for corruption probe.
In the statement, Matawalle made it clear that while he had nothing against investigating outgoing governors, the investigation should be extended to officials of the Presidency as well as ministers.
He urged the anti-graft agency not to be selective in their investigation, but rather they should embrace more holistic approaches while carrying out the probe. The Zamfara governor also faulted the recent invitations of only state governors by the EFCC. He called it imbalanced, incomplete, hypocritical and unnecessarily skewed.
Matawalle demanded that the EFCC boss, Abdul Rasheed Bawa overlook sentiments and surrender himself for investigation, as there is evidence of corrupt practices, breach of public trust and abuse of office against him and the entire commission.
Matawalle added that Bawa has to come clean with Nigerians based on the way and manner he has carried out the anti-corruption fight. He urged the EFCC Boss to give explanations on how seized assets by the EFCC are being sold without adhering to due process.
Matawalle challenged Bawa to explain, “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.”
Recall that Matawalle had earlier reacted to the alleged granting of study leave by President Muhammadu Buhari to Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele. Matawalle asked Buhari to not allow Emefiele leave without giving account of his tenure at the Central Bank.
