Civil Society Groups Demand the EFCC Issue an Apology for Making False Claims Against Bello.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been under fire from civil society organisations for what they see as ludicrous and unfounded accusations made against His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State.
The controversy started when the EFCC accused Governor Bello of embezzling 80 billion Naira when he was still serving as interim governor in September 2015, before Alhaji Yahaya Bello took office. On January 27, 2016, Alhaji Bello took office as Kogi State’s governor. The EFCC’s honesty and motivations have come under scrutiny due to this disparity in dates.
Social Crusader Bar. Taofiq Shegun Bamisile and a coalition of fifteen other civil society organisations called on President Muhammadu Buhari to step in and restore the EFCC’s integrity at a news conference in Abuja. They begged the President to remove the EFCC Boss from office and impose penalties on the agency for what they saw to be an attack on Governor Bello with political motivations.
The EFCC’s actions were also denounced by Mr. Raymond Osakwe, Director-General of the Crusade for Complete Corruption Eradication in Nigeria (CCFCE), a well-known civil society organisation committed to combating corruption. He said he was disappointed with the partisanship of the EFCC and called the charges against Governor Bello petty and politically motivated.
The joint protest from civil society organisations emphasises how important it is to fight corruption with justice and accountability. It makes it very evident to the EFCC and other government entities that the public expects all investigations and court cases to be conducted transparently and in accordance with due process.
