Breaking: Alleged Massive Corruption At Federal Ministry Of Works, Group Urges EFCC To Ensure Diligent Investigation And Prosecution
A coalition of anticorruption civil society organisations, Civil Society Coalition Against Graft, CISOCAG, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to ensure a diligent investigation and prosecution of all who are found culpable in an alleged corruption syndicate at the Federal Ministry of Works.
CISOCAG in a statement issued by its Coordinator, Comrade Mark Adebayo and Secretary, Comrade Femi Lawson, alleged that it got information that one Kabiru Kamba, a front allegedly being used by a former governor in one of the states in the north west has been arrested by operatives of the EFCC based on credible intelligence and may have identified some of his accomplices who are influential members of an organized corruption syndicate in the Ministry.
The group in a press release made available to journalists in Abuja this Wednesday alleged, inter alia, that “We got information that one Kabiru Kamba, a front allegedly being used by a former governor in one of the states in the north west has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly being among a well-grounded corruption syndicate within the Works Ministry who allegedly specialize in reprocessing already paid out vouchers and repaying same which runs into billions of Naira.”
“We got information that he has allegedly named some of his accomplices to include a former permanent secretary in the Ministry, one Babangida Kazaure and even a former governor, Adamu Alero, who is the chairman of Senate Committee on Works.
“We call on the EFCC to be courageous and steadfast in the investigation and prosecution of anyone found culpable in this alleged multibillion Naira scam at a period that Nigeria is grappling with fiscal nightmares and its debt profile standing at a scandalous N43 trillion and going higher by the day. How is the government expected to meet its financial obligations to pay salaries, build infrastructure and fight insecurity if all the resources it should utilize for them are being stolen by some people?”
“We urge the EFCC to live up to public trust by ensuring that it doesn’t succumb to pressures from any quarters no matter how highly placed to cover up this monumental fraud. We say this because of some unwarranted experiences in recent times. Of notable example is the seemingly carefree manner that he Commission has been handling the several corruption allegations against the incumbent Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Rt. Honorable Mudashiru Obasa, as against the prompt alacrity with which the Commission went after the Ogun State Assembly speaker and brought him to Abuja to face interrogation. While we commend the EFCC for all it has been doing in bringing corrupt public officials to book, we urge the antigraft Commission to avoid being seen as giving preferential treatments to the subjects of investigation before it.”
“On the present case in question involving the Federal Ministry of Works, we urge the EFCC to go all out after all culpable personalities, especially the alleged ring leaders KABIRU KAMBA, BABANGIDA KAZAURE, and ADAMU ALERO, in this matter and ensure that the law takes its full course.”
Attempts to confirm from EFCC Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren was unsuccessful.
When Newsnowonline contacted him, he forwarded a number of another colleague for confirmation.
His colleague who promised to call back didn’t do so as at the time of filling this report.
