An anti-corruption organisation, Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), has slammed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly turning blind eye to different petitions submitted against some former governors from the South South.

The organisation also berated EFCC’s counterpart, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for the same situation, saying that it and many individuals had submitted a lot of petitions with evidence to the two agencies without investigation.

The Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, had upheld the powers to investigate and prosecute officials of the Delta State Government who allegedly engaged in corrupt acts.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday evening, Director of Compliance of NACAT, Shedrach Iheoma, explained that public officials would continue to steal public funds if the anti-graft agencies and other groups with the same mission kept quiet.

Iheoma said, “As a leading anti-corruption group in Nigeria, we will be failing in our duties and responsibilities if we turn a blind eye to the wanton corruption and embezzlement of public funds orchestrated by some former governors and not bring it to the public domain.”

Iheoma said there was the need for Nigerians to wake up and hold their governors and other public office holders to account, adding that the magnitude of the resources being stolen was enough to provide numerous social amenities for Nigerians.

He specifically said, “It seems that the EFCC is in bed with ex-governors from the South South who are the biggest looters in the country.”

In a swift reaction, the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, appealed to all petitioners to be patient with the commission, saying all the petitions would be attended to on merit.

Olukoyede, who spoke through the Head of Media in the agency, Dele Oyewale, said, “When petitions are submitted, the investigations would naturally start, and it is not for us to be talking about works that are ongoing. They should just be patient.

“Don’t forget that the EFCC is a national anti-corruption agency, and we have quite a number of petitions that come in on a daily basis, and every petition has to be treated on its merits. So, our works are progressive, and at the appropriate time they would be contacted.” (Text, excluding headline: Daily Trust)

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