Dennis Erezi
The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking Initiative (NACAT) have accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of shying away from high profile corruption cases.
NACAT Executive Director of investigation, Tega Oghenedoro expressed the groups displeasure on Wednesday in Abuja at a press briefing.
Ighenedoro said the anti-graft agencies has consistently failed to act on the petitions they have received from CSOs over the years exposing corrupt practices by public officers.
According to Oghenedoro, NACAT has submitted substantiated petitions against government officials including Delta state government officials but non of the anti-graft agencies has invited the body to adopt and defend the petitions.
“If the EFCC and the ICPC will constantly turn a blind eye to high profile corruption cases, which makes that of ex-governor Yahaya Bello’s N88billion a child play, then they should let Yahaya Bello walk scot free,” Ighenedoro said.
“It seems that the EFCC is in bed with ex governors from the South South who are the biggest looters in the country.”
According to him, the body has submitted a petition for over three months urging it to expand its investigation net to include over N3trillion allocation to Delta State under the 8 years tenure of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa but nothing has been done about it.
In the petition, Oghenedoro said the body is also requesting the ICPC and the EFCC to look into a staggering sum of N600billion that was borrowed and could not be accounted for by the past administration that left a debt profile of N480billion and unpaid ongoing projects worth over N150 billion.
