Posted by From Alifa Daniel, Asst. Politics Editor, Abuja on
FOLLOWING the conclusion of investigations into the activities of 31 state governors, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has concluded plans to charge 15 of them this week for financial misdemeanours, according to the commission's chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
FOLLOWING the conclusion of investigations into the activities of 31 state governors, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has concluded plans to charge 15 of them this week for financial misdemeanours, according to the commission's chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
And for parties that have not dropped the names of candidates that have been indicted in a Federal Government report, Ribadu vowed that his commission would stop such candidates.
His words: "We are determined to go any length to stop corruption in this country. None of those indicted would contest the April election. We cannot allow them. We are prepared to defend this democracy."
But Ribadu told journalists at the weekend that there was no truth to the allegation that two senators, Victor Ndoma-Egba and Ike Ekweremadu, were on the commission's list of indicted political office holders which was forwarded to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He described those on the list as the pillars of corruption who had diverted the country's wealth to personal uses.
He gave President Olusegun Obasanjo a clean bill of financial health in the management of the country's economic and financial resources.
Ribadu had last October listed 31 Governors among those being investigated with tampering with state and local government funds.
On the publication of the name of Ndoma-Egba and Ekweremadu, he said: "We have nothing against Ndoma-Egba and Eweremadu. Most of the names published in the media did not come from us. We did not send the list to the media, we merely dispatch the list to the political parties."
On President Obasanjo, he reiterated what he told The Guardian in an exclusive interview two weeks ago: "We have investigated Mr. President and found nothing against him. Governor Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State could not substantiate his allegations against the President, we invited him severally and he refused to show up."
The report absolving the President of any misdemeanour is expected from the EFCC in the coming days.
Explaining the rationale behind sending the list to President Olusegun Obasanjo rather than prosecuting the alleged offenders, Ribadu said what he did was within the ambits of the law and constitution, adding that it was within the President's powers to accept or reject his commission's report and list.
And for those indicted, he said: "If they feel strongly about our work, they should go to court to challenge us."
On allegations that his commission was in the habit of disobeying court orders, he disagreed, saying: "People say we disobey court orders. I challenge them to produce one court order we disobeyed, they cannot produce one. We are law-abiding and we respect the decisions of the courts."