EFCC Gives Reasons Why Zamfara Gov, Bello Matawalle Accuses Bawa Of Corruption...Says He Is Under Investigation for N70billion Fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has giving reasons why the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, is attacking the commission and its chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, stating that the governor is under investigation over diversion of the state N70 billion into private account.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has giving reasons why the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, is attacking the commission and its chairman, Adulralsheed Bawa, stating that the governor is under investigation over diversion of the state N70 billion into private account.
It would be remembered that the Governor had on Wednesday, claiming to have evidence of corruption against the EFCC, chairman, Malam Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Matawalle, while reacting to the statement credited to Bawa claiming that he had sent invitations to all outgoing Governors and Commissioners in a bid to commence investigation into alleged corruption and abuse of office perpetrated by them while in office, said Bawa statement is going to be counterproductive to the anti-corruption crusade itself.
He said in a bid to help the obvious knowledge-gap and inertia exhibited by the EFCC Chair, the probe should be all embracing and cover all officers.
According to him, the EFCC chair should extend similar invitations to officers of the Presidency and members of the Federal Executive Council, which he said is the highest tier of government in the country.
He explained that he would wish that Bawa should carry out a broad based investigation and an enlargement of the fight against corruption, adding that Abdulrasheed Bawa should excuse himself and surrender himself for investigation.
He disclosed that some eminent Nigerians have evidence of corrupt practices, breach of public trust and abuse of office against him and the commission led by Bawa.
"He needs to explain among others how seized assets by the EFCC are being sold without adherence to due process.
"He should explain, for instance, 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.
"It is when the EFCC Chair does this and becomes open, non-selective and all-embracing with his invitation, that we will take him seriously.
"It is only then will serious-minded officers who have served the people selflessly and meritoriously, and are not opposed to an examination of their books, and indeed Nigerians generally take him seriously.
"Without this, it is just a case of another person in government who has some explaining to do himself over allegations of corruption, high-handedness and abuse of office now asking others to account, by so doing, merely giving Nigerians a comic relief from the present challenging times they are experiencing." the Governor alleged.
But reacting to the governor's outburst, Director, Public Affairs Department, Osita Nwajah, in a statement on Thursday, described the governor's outburst as corruption fighting back adding that the governor is under investigation over N70 billion.
According to him, the real issue with Matawalle was that he is being investigated by the EFCC, over allegation of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70billion.
He explained that the money which was sourced as loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state, was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed.
Nwajah alleged that the Commission’s investigations so far revealed that more than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state.
The Director revealed further that some of the contractors who had been invited and quizzed by the Commission, made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting the same to United States Dollars.
He disclosed that the cpntractors confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara state but were allegedly directed to convert the monies paid to them into United States Dollar and return to the State governor through some of his commissioners, notably the Commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.
Nwahjah mentioned of a particular contractor, a popular Abuja property developer, collected N6billion on a N10billion contract without rendering any service to Zamfara state.
He said another contractor collected over N3billion for a contract for the supply of medical equipment but the Commission traced a payment of N400million from his account to a Bureau de Change operator. The contractor confessed the payment was to procure the dollar equivalent allegedly for the state governor.
EFCC further claimed that as part of their extensive investigation of contracts awarded by the Matawalle administration, especially for phantom projects in the local government areas, the Commission had recovered a sum of N300million from a company, Fezel Nigeria Limited. The funds were traced to the Zamafara Investment Company.
The Full statement reads:
"The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been drawn to a statement credited to the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, in which he attempted to cast aspersion on the integrity of the EFCC’s fight against corruption by making farcical allegations of corruption in assets disposal and plea bargain procedure, among others.
These claims ought not to be dignified with a response. What is at play here is a pure case of corruption fighting back. Matawalle’s outburst is product of paranoia- an uncomfortable exertion arising from the heat of EFCC’s lawful activities.
However, for the sake of some gullible citizens who might be swayed by the governor’s sudden burst of crusading zest, a measured response has become imperative to expose Matawalle’ outburst for what it is, a hollow gambit to deflect attention from the real issue.
The issue has nothing to do with the transparency of EFCC’s asset recovery and disposal process. Contrary to the claims by Matawalle, the Commission supervised an asset disposal exercise that was widely acclaimed as the most transparent in the country’s history. Proceeds of the open and transparent exercise have since been remitted into the coffers of the Federal Government, and are being deployed in the provision of infrastructure for Nigerians.
The issue is also not about plea bargain. Indeed, it is hypocritical for Matawalle to rile a process for which he has been a beneficiary. Plea bargain is a practice established by law, and the Commission has never gone outside of the law in the application of this principle. If Matawalle has any evidence of abuse of plea bargain process, he is at liberty to make the disclosure.
It is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate. Is this a case of a “’thief’’ saying he must not be touched until other ‘’thieves’’ are caught? Unfortunately, it is not within Matawalle’s remit to dictate to the EFCC whom to arrest, when and where. Suspects in the custody of the Commission cut across all sectors and social class. The qualification to get a space in the Commission’s detention facility, is to commit a crime. It does not matter whether you are a priest , Imam, Governor or minister. Currently, a former minister of power is in the custody of the EFCC over a N22billion corruption allegation. That conveniently did not attract Matawalle’s attention.
Of course, these shenanigans are not strange. They appear to play out in cycles, particularly when the nation is in political transition. Virtually all the predecessors of the incumbent EFCC chairman suffered similar indignity at the hands of politically exposed persons under investigation for corruption. Who among the former chairmen of the Commission was not accused of pilfering recovered assets?
The Commission would like to put the nation on notice to expect more of the kind of wild allegations made by Matawalle as those at the receiving end of EFCC’s investigations, fight viciously back.
But the real issue with Matawalle is that he is being investigated by the EFCC, over allegation of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70billion.
The money which was sourced as loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state, was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed.
The Commission’s investigations so far reveal that more than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state. Some of the contractors who had been invited and quizzed by the Commission, made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting the same to United States Dollars.
They confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara state but were allegedly directed to convert the monies paid to them into United States Dollar and return to the State governor through some of his commissioners, notably the Commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.
One of the contractors, a popular Abuja property developer, collected N6billion on a N10billion contract without rendering any service to Zamfara state. Another contractor collected over N3billion for a contract for the supply of medical equipment but the Commission traced a payment of N400million from his account to a Bureau de Change operator. The contractor confessed the payment was to procure the dollar equivalent allegedly for the state governor.
As part of the extensive investigation of contracts award by the Matawalle administration, especially for phantom projects in the local government areas, the Commission has recovered a sum of N300million from a company, Fezel Nigeria Limited. The funds were traced to the Zamafara Investment Company.
The EFCC investigation is the source of anxiety in Government House, Gusau, with the governor in mortal dread of his fate once he steps down as governor on May 29. In Nigeria state governors and their deputies enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution while in office, a reason the EFCC has yet to arrest Governor Matawalle."
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