Posted by By Taye Obateru on
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited 18 top Plateau State government officials to appear before it tomorrow in furtherance of its investigations into the finances of the state.
Jos - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited 18 top Plateau State government officials to appear before it tomorrow in furtherance of its investigations into the finances of the state. This invitation came just as the Commission's Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was advised to stop making prejudicial comments on matters the commission is investigating in the interest of justice and the ruleof law.
Vanguard gathered that the invitation from the EFCC was contained in a letter to the state government last week just as the special committee of the state House of Assembly commenced investigations into the allegations contained in a correspondence from the Commission to the house.
Some of the officials invited to Abuja were also billed to appear before the house committee this week, but the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Yakubu Dati confirmed on yesterday that a reply had been sent to the Commission to defer the appearance of about eight officers billed to appear before the house committee this week so as not to stall its work.
Dati, however, expressed concern over the recent statements credited to the EFCC chairman on Governor Joshua Dariye which he said were prejudicial and against the rules of natural justice.
"We feel that Nuhu Ribadu should shut up because one, the issues are before a competent court of law and two, the state House of Assembly is alreadyinvestigating the matter based on a letter he sent to them.
"So why should he be talking on the pages of newspapers that he is bitting his finger because Dariye has not been removed as governor?
"Does that not amount to playing the judge in a matter he has taken to the house? Why can't he show respect for due process and the tenets of democracy which are the rule of law and respect for the judiciary and the legislature?" he lamented.
The Commissioner who said Plateau people were solidly behind Governor Dariye and had resolved to swim or sink with him, advised the EFCC chairman to respect the motto of his organization which is 'no one is above the law" by stopping his tendency to speak and behave as if he is above the law.
He urged him to honour the invitation by the state Assembly to present his facts against the governor rather than 'shouting on the roof top and passing judgement."
He accused Ribadu of going beyond his brief in the way he insults or passes judgement on people advising him to learn from the experience of government appointees who behaved in a similar manner in the past. 'He should be careful because there is tomorrow."