Zamfara State Governor, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has accused the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Abdulrasheed Bawa, of corruption.
In a press statement released on Thursday, Governor Matawalle criticized the selective nature of the EFCC’s investigations, urging the commission to extend its probe to officers at the federal level, including members of the Presidency and the Federal Executive Council.
The statement came as a reaction to the probing of the governor by EFCC over alleged N70 billion fraud.
The commission 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.
Reacting, Governor Matawalle stated that the EFCC Chair should also extend the investigation to officers in the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency and the Federal Executive Council.
“The investigation must be wholistic and not selective. It is in this respect that the recent invitations and pronouncement by the EFCC Chair is imbalance, incomplete, hypocritical and unnecessarily skewed”, he said.
The governor also called on Bawa to step aside and subject himself to investigation, citing evidence of corrupt practices, breach of public trust, and abuse of office.
Governor Matawalle further questioned the EFCC’s handling of seized assets and its plea bargaining approach.
The governor emphasized the need for transparency, non-selectivity, and accountability in the anti-corruption fight for it to be taken seriously.
Bawa, on the other hand, urged Nigerians not to be swayed by Matawalle’s recent outburst during a press conference on Thursday.
Bawa, speaking through the commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Osita Nwajah, explained that the agency was not supposed to respond to Matawalle, but it did so to set the record straight.
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 Matawalles 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 Commissions 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, Nwajah added.
The anti-graft agency, also confirmed that a former Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, who was recently arrested by the operatives of the commission over alleged N22bn fraud is still in detention.