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EFCC disowns Ekweremadu as anti-corruption ambassador

By Abosede Musari, Azimazi Momoh Jimoh and Anthony Otaru
21 April 2016   |   4:04 am
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disowned its National Assembly liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari for acting without directive and decorating Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu as its Anti-Corruption Ambassador.
Ekweremadu

Ekweremadu

• Ekweremadu decries EFCC’s denial

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disowned its National Assembly liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari for acting without directive and decorating Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu as its Anti-Corruption Ambassador, in an action the anti graft agency described as a manifestation of corruption fighting back.

Its National Assembly Liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari on Tuesday, reportedly decorated Ekweremadu as an ambassador of the anti-graft agency.

But in a swift reaction to the event yesterday, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren in a statement made available to The Guardian, dissociated the agency from Bakari’s action.

“The EFCC totally dissociates itself from the purported action of Bakari as he acted entirely on his own and clearly outside his liaison officer brief as he was never instructed by the Acting Chairman nor mandated by the management and staff of the Commission 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.

“The Commission 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 honours. Not the EFCC.

“Members of the public and stakeholders in the fight against corruption are enjoined to disregard the so-called decoration, while stern administrative action is being taken on the clearly misdirected officer who acted entirely without authorization”, the statement read.

This is coming as Senator Ike Ekweremadu; yesterday condemned the denial by Uwujaren, that the agency decorated him as its Anti-Corruption Ambassador.

A statement issued by Special Adviser (Media) to Deputy President of the Senate, Uche Anichukwu, said “We want to put it on record that the EFCC Liaison Officer to the National Assembly, Mr. Suleiman Bakari, and his team, applied for and subsequently paid a courtesy call on the Deputy President of the Senate in his office on Tuesday, April 19, 2016.’’

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