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Senate split over probe of EFCC boss, Lamorde

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja
25 August 2015   |   2:01 am
The Senate is divided over plan to probe the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde, over alleged complicity in the diversion of funds amounting to N1trillion.
Lamorde

Lamorde

The Senate is divided over plan to probe the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde, over alleged complicity in the diversion of funds amounting to N1trillion.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye, in an interview in Abuja yesterday, stated that the petition against the EFCC boss raised very serious issues that could not be ignored by the Senate. He denied any link between the probe of Lamorde and the quizzing of the wife of the Senate President, Tonye Saraki, by the EFCC in July.

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has already sent invitation to Larmode to appear before it on Wednesday over allegation that the EFCC fraudulently diverted over N1trillion proceeds of corruption recovered by the anti-graft agency.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the Senate, rejected the planned probe of Lamorde. They expressed their position against the probe in a statement signed by the Senate Minority Leader, GodswillAkpabio; his deputy, Emmanuel Bwacha; Minority Whip, Philip Aduda; and his deputy, Biodun Olujimi, and made available to journalists in Abuja.

The statement reads in part:” It has come to the notice of the PDP leadership in the Senate that the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions would begin a public hearing on Wednesday, 26th of August, 2015 and the committee has invited the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to appear before it.

“The PDP leadership in the senate is not against any committee of the Senate performing its oversight duties and or functions, but we feel that this is not the appropriate time to embark on the most important assignment particularly since the same action was mooted and had failed at previous plenary session.

“We therefore urge the committee to suspend its public hearing on this particular matter until further notice.

“The PDP Senate leadership reassures the Nigerian public of its support for the war against corruption by the Federal Government but hastens to add that such fight against corruption should be total and not selective.

“Nigerians need peace at this period of economic challenges precipitated by the falling of oil prices and actions that will overheat the polity and generate unnecessary friction between the executive and the legislature

6 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    The probe should go on. Nigerians are suffering. Those of them that are against the probe, are the people that brought the sufferings to Nigerians.

  • Author’s gravatar

    DEY WAN INTIMIDATE LARMODE NOT TO PROBE SARAKI FAMILY, MAKE DEM HEAR, DEM DON FAIL PATAPATA,

  • Author’s gravatar

    Did I hear you said he diverted N 1tr. Into whose account? Yet he’s going after those that steal N20m. Cornering all stolen money? Gush there’s God ooo

  • Author’s gravatar

    Thieves infiltrated and no good senate should be probing Seraki instead of Lamorde. This is a trumped up charges to derail EFCC because of the humiliation of Seraki`s wife.

  • Author’s gravatar

    PDP is wrong on this one, the probe of EFCC should be the first thing on the table, sanitizing the sanitizer is critical if the virus of corruption is to be effective and complete. However, selective probe is worst than no probe, the message is that once you are with us, you have immunity to probe, and any perceived political enemy is corrupt and must be hunted down, that is not the foundation of a true revolution that Nigeria dearly needs. The fight against Corruption must be treated like the “Ebola” disease, INCINERATION OF ALL CORRUPT CONTACT AND SOURCE LIKE EBOLA is the only way, and no other way or option, NO HALF CURE BUT TOTAL OBLITERATION OF THE VIRUS OF CANCER OF CORRUPTION IS THE ONLY WAY TO KILL AND DESTROY THE RAVAGING KILLER DISEASE IN NIGERIA,

  • Author’s gravatar

    It is dud ammunition, but go ahead, the TV show will be good drama for the public to watch. This Dino Melaye should be called by EFCC next to explain the source of his wealth, then Saraki arrested!