EFCC To Deal With Staff Who Decorated Ekweremadu ‘Anti-Corruption Ambassador’

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on today denied reports it decorated Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu as “Anti-Corruption Ambassador”.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, had announced that the decoration was undertaken by the EFCC National Assembly Liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari, acting on behalf of EFCC Acting Chairman Ibrahim Mustafa Magu and the management and staff of the commission.

In its rebuttal, the EFCC totally dissociated itself from the purported action of Bakari, saying he acted entirely on his own and beyond his brief at the Assembly as he was never authorized to decorate Ekweremadu or any officer of the National Assembly as ‘Anti- Corruption Ambassador.’

“The Commission views this highly unprofessional and conduct of the officer as yet another manifestation of ‘Corruption Fighting Back,’ it declared. “This leg of the despicable campaign, which is, unfortunately, being carried out by a staff of the Commission, had been foreshadowed in recent weeks by other questionable acts.”

The agency cited curious anti-EFCC rulings last week, characterizing them as calculated attempts to derail the anti-corruption war, and even observing indications of the capture of a prominent section of the media by what it called “dark forces.”

It said the picture of organized corruption marshaling its evil forces to launch a sustained fightback becomes clearer if cognizance is taken off the bewildering insistence of the Senate to carry on with the ill-advised amendment of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal Act, as well as the inexplicable provisions proposed for amendment to the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

“Let it be underscored that the
statutory mandate of the EFCC is the investigation and prosecution of all economic and financial crimes cases, which does not include phoney decoration of any individual as “Anti-corruption Ambassador,” the agency said. “That award and title are unknown to the EFCC and could not have been invested as purported, on behalf of the Acting Chairman, Management and staff of the EFCC.”
It further pointed out that the EFCC is not in the habit of awarding titles to individuals.

“Those who seek titles for reasons of waging a counter-onslaught against the war on corruption in addition to massaging inflated sense of influence know the quarters to approach for such dubious honors,” it advised, and then affirmed, “Not the EFCC.”

It urged the public and stakeholders in the fight against corruption to disregard the so-called decoration, adding that “stern administrative action” will be taken against Mr. Bakari.

Source:- Saharareporters