Last week, the news of the reported invitation of the Chief of State,
Dr Aminu Adisa Logun by the operatives of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) hit the polity like a thunder bolt. In this
report, HEAD POLITICS, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, looks at the controversy
and ‘conspiracy of silence’ that has trailed the development.
When Shola Oluwasegun popularly known as Sholyment first reported the
story of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr Aminu Adisa Logun, and
how he was quizzed over alleged misappropriation of election related
funds, many find it difficult to believe reason being that the report
contained some ‘revelations’ that needed to be interrogated. Sholyment
said “The Chief of staff was invited to explain how he received a huge
undisclosed amount of fund from Kwara State Internal Revenue (KWIRS)
on behalf of Governor Abdulrazaq for the purpose of prosecuting the
2019 elections”.
But how could that be true, many queried. How is it possible that
Logun, as a member of the then opposition will be collecting funds
from the ruling party when elections have not even been held and is it
that the last administration funded the opposition against itself? So
many dots didn’t connect in the report and expectedly skepticism
became rife.
But a week after the issue was reported, the action of the EFCC and
perceived conspiracy of silence that had trailed the invitation of
Logun has only provided an avenue for more questions than answers to
be raised.
Interestingly, few days before the report, the EFCC had accused the
leadership and members of the 8th Kwara Assembly under Dr Ali Ahmad of
conniving with KWIRS officials to be paid N4m monthly “as a trade-off
to secure easy approval of their appropriations and requests” since
2015.
According to the anti-graft agency, other beneficiaries from the total
sum which it said amounted to N5bn include former Commissioner for
Finance, Ademola Banu accused of allegedly receiving N5m monthly,
ex-Kwara State Accountant-General, Ishola Sulyman, Permanent
Secretaries and others. It went ahead to quote former chairman of the
House Committee on Appropriation and Finance during the 8th Assembly,
Hon Moshood Bakare that KWIRS officials send the N4m into the account
of his Personal Assistant from where it was distributed. According to
the report, a Personal Assistant to ex-governor Abdulfatah Ahmed,
Rafiu Olasile, also once received N10m from an aide to Hon Bakare.
To be sure, some commentaries in an attempt to interrogate the report
of the EFCC concerning the lawmakers have picked holes in the
allegation and faulted the figures of the commission. According to
some of the commentators, the entire amount listed by the EFCC against
the ex-lawmakers and past government officials will not even amount to
a billion naira for eight years as against the N5bn in four years as
alleged by the commission.
Now, could the EFCC be hiding anything about the CoS matter or why
would a commission that provided such “detailed” report through its
“investigation” about the lawmakers suddenly develop “cold feet” when
it comes to the issue of the Chief of Staff. All entreaties to the
commission to come out with its side of the story and at least help in
setting the record straight amidst the cloud of uncertainty that
hovered around the invitation has met brick wall. If all parties
appear to be responding to the issue from the prism of their lenses,
why will the EFCC aid and abet such narrative by keeping silent?
Despite viral reports in several online platforms, social media groups
in the state and from some national dailies including confirmation
from top figures who visited the Commission of the invitation of the
CoS, the government, EFCC and CoS (until Monday) had refused to
provide details or give further explanation on the matter.
When contacted on the phone, the Zonal Head of the anti-graft agency
in the state, Isyaku Sharu neither confirmed nor denied the alleged
investigation of the CoS who sources said was reportedly quizzed for
several hours at the Commission’s facility over the development.
The anti-graft czar rather requested Pilot Politics speak with the
commission’s Public Relation Officer over the incident. While the EFCC
media wing also declined official comment, a member of the team who
agreed to speak without been quoted said their boss(es) have not
briefed them on the issue or gave them the mandate to speak and would
therefore not be able to make official comment on it.
Similarly, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Rafiu
Ajakaye did not return several calls and text messages on the issue
when contacted. But the CPS later issued a blanket statement on the
issue that political watchers say lack neither head nor tail
concerning the actual stand of the government on the matter. It (the
statement) only warned “that the administration would not spare
suspected public fund looters.
“No government official would be spared if proven to have committed
infractions against the law…(The) Governor wishes to place it on
record that no act of corruption will be condoned under this
administration and any government official, serving or former, who is
proven to have corruptly enriched themselves shall face the full
weight of the law”, the statesmen added.
However, on Monday, the Chief of Staff finally broke his silence
confirming his invitation by the EFCC. According to the CoS, “…I
truly visited the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of an ongoing investigation into the
activities of some past officials, including the former chairman of
the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS). Save for public
officials with immunity under our law, every public official has an
obligation to the state to assist in the investigation of any crime. I
am no exception, hence my first and only appearance on November 26,
2019 to answer the EFCC summon to volunteer information as I know it.
“However, my visit to the EFCC has been given several misleading
interpretations, especially on the social media where some persons are
unfairly using that to smear my hard-earned image. I understand this
is one of the burdens of being in public office. I state unequivocally
that at no time did Prof Awodun give me any money for the claimed
purpose or for any other purpose whatsoever. Similarly, I was not
involved in any funnelling or distribution of money from KW-IRS and/or
any other source for any political campaign or political party. All
the stories and theories in the media concerning those allegations are
baseless and totally untrue. I have instructed my lawyers to review
the false publications with a view to taking legal actions as may be
appropriate. I remain humbled by and grateful to Governor Abdulrahman
Abdulrazaq, for the trust reposed in me as the Chairman, Kwara State
Transition Committee 2019, which was further concretised by my
appointment as the Chief of Staff to the Executive Governor. I remain
very proud of the giant steps and achievements of the Governor since
he assumed the reins in Kwara State and shall continue to dutifully
support him in advancing the Kwara Project for the betterment of the
good people of Kwara State…”, he added.
Although, there have been no official comment from the ex-KWIRS boss,
Prof Murtala Awodun, responses from top members of his regime have
described the EFCC action as nothing but “vendetta war” which is
capable of eroding the giant strides and achievements the service had
made since its establishment.
The source who has deep knowledge of the financial operations of the
service under Awodun added that, “The revenue agency (KWIRS) engaged
consultants for operations according to global best practices and with
proper engagements and agreements on terms and conditions. They
operated within the confines of the terms and protected the interests
of the state and the service in all of these engagements. They
(consultants) earned and received commissions due to them only and the
service at no time diverted funds due to the state for (any) other
purposes. All of these allegations are politically motivated and the
danger is that it is capable of destroying the system, the people and
the trust of the residents in the service. Moreover, the state may
face an unprecedented setback in revenue generation.
“It is easier to destroy than to build” the source said. What took
four years to build can easily be destroyed by this political vendetta
war that is being unleashed rightly or wrongly. There are better ways
to investigate things like this without jeopardising the interest of
the State and destroying the system in the process”, the source added.
Now, the question that many political pundits and observers have asked
is whether the EFCC could have acted the same way if the issue was
about individuals perceived to be members of the opposition. Citizens
also want to know and hear from the horse’s mouth why the CoS was
invited by the EFCC and what did he actually tell the Commission now
that Logun himself has broken his silence and confirmed his
invitation. Furthermore, did Awodun even mention the name of Logun at
all and what was the actual submission of the former KWIRS boss when
he visited. Also what really transpired between the EFCC and all its
invitees and can one blame those that are insinuating that the
Commission is rightly or wrongly protecting the Chief of Staff? These
and many other posers are begging for answers from the anti-graft
body. If the key players are not saying anything (until Tuesday) when
Logun and the former Speaker, Ali Ahmad broke their silence, would the
EFCC have allowed the issue to continue to linger in secrecy and
controversy despite the political implication it has on their
activities.
The way things stands now, the EFCC cannot afford its activities to be
shrouded in such secrecy and controversy especially when there is a
greater need to set the record straight and put everybody where they
belong. Moreover, there is the need to always ensure figures released
on financial investigation are tidied. The fight against corruption by
the anti-graft body which is needed and commendable must not be
allowed to subsist in the various shades of gray between the colours
of black and white by the decision to keep quiet so far. Silence is
no more golden in this instance and if anything, what it has only
achieved is fuelling conjectures and perhaps subjected narratives
about the whole issue.
