The Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may just be hell bent on hurling all kinds of corruption allegations at him because acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu, was twice denied confirmation on the floor of the senate.
Twice, the presidency sent Magu to the senate for confirmation as substantive chairman of the EFCC, between 2016 and 2017, twice Magu has been rejected by angry lawmakers.
On both occasions, the lawmakers cited a damning report from the Department of State Security (DSS) as reason for turning down the confirmation request from the presidency.
The DSS report accuses Magu of living well above his means, dining with corrupt persons, flying first class and living in a N40m mansion.
Magu has strenuously denied all the accusations.
The EFCC is currently poring at the books of Kwara around the time Saraki governed the state for eight years, spanning 2003 to 2011.
The EFCC said it is investigating Saraki for โalleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, theft, and money launderingโ.
In a letter signed by EFCC zonal head, Isyaku Sharu, the commission asked the Permanent Secretary, Kwara Govt House: โto furnish us with the full details of all his entitlements to include but not limited to emoluments, allowances, estacodes, other fringe benefits and severance package while he held sway as the Executive Governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.
Saraki thinks he is victim of a witch-hunt
However, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President said heโs the victim of a political witch-hunt and vendetta orchestrated by his political opponents.
โWe are compelled to make our positions known on the less than noble and patriotic objectives behind these investigations because we believe it is a mere witch-hunt exercise, aimed at settling scores, laced with malicious and partisan motivesโ, the statement from Saraki reads.
โฆwhy weโre investigating Senate President โ Anti graft agencyย
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, explained its decision to investigate the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.
Saraki had in a statement on Tuesday accused the EFCC of a witch-hunt for probing his tenure as governor of Kwara State.
Saraki, a leader of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), left office as Kwara governor in 2011.
In its reply on Wednesday, the EFCC said its investigation of Saraki is โdriven by overarching public interest and due process of the law.โ
The EFCC statement reads in part; โThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has taken note of the reactions of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki to the Commissionโs inquiries regarding his earnings as Kwara State governor as well as on the quality of his financial stewardship in the Senate.
โWhile it is his prerogative to ventilate his views on the matter as he deems fit, the Commission takes strong exception at the desperate attempt to cast a slur on its investigative activities by portraying Saraki as a victim of persecution.
โFurthermore, the Agency finds the attempt by the Senate President to tie our inquest to his International Human Rights Commission, IHRC appointment and his approaching life out of power as misleading, knowing too well that the background to our current inquiries reaches several years back.โ
The EFCC said it is obligated by law to enthrone probity and accountability in the governance space and has supremely pursued this duty without ill-will or malice against anyone.
โIt is in the interest of the public and for Sarakiโs personal good that he is not only above board, but be seen at all times to be so.
โIndeed, all the instances in which the EFCC have had cause to sleuth into his financial activities either as a former governor or President of the Senate were driven by overarching public interest and due process of the law.
โAgainst the background of the posse of indicting petitions and other evidence available to the EFCC, even Saraki will agree with the Commission that putting him through a legitimate forensic inquiry is the legitimate route to establish his integrity as a public servant,โ the anti-graft agency said.
