The House of Representatives Minority Leader Leo Ogor is seeking an investigation into the whereabouts of 1trillion naira corruption proceeds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A businessman George Uboh, had petitioned the Federal Ministry of Justice on the matter, accusing EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Lamorde of diverting the cash. The ministry had since directed EFCC to probe its chairman based on Uboh’s petition.
However, in another letter, Uboh threatened legal action as he wondered how EFFC would effectively probe its own boss.
At plenary yesterday, the House directed its Committee on Financial Crimes to investigate the alleged non-remittance of the funds by EFCC.
The lawmakers also urged the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, to re-assign the investigation of Uboh’s petition to either the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) or the Police.
Moving the motion titled: “Urgent need to investigate the non-remittance of court-ordered forfeited funds and properties by the EFCC into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation and for other related matters”, Ogor opposed the Solicitor-General’s directive that EFCC should investigate Lamorde.
According to him, Section 88(i) of the 1999 Constitution confers powers on the House to investigate the diversion of funds by Lamorde and other past EFCC chairmen.
He said there was a subsisting petition by Uboh against the present and past EFCC leaders on alleged funds diversion, noting that the House “should thoroughly investigate the allegation of diversion of this huge sums of monies -trillion of naira; other members of staff of the EFCC must be investigated.”
“The EFCC is not the only agency of government charged with investigations that border on diversion of funds by public officers; the EFCC itself cannot be a judge in its own case,” Ogor added.
Funds worth billions of naira, he said, should have been paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federation as stipulated under Section 31(2, 3) of the EFCC establishment Act of 2004.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate