Senate President,
Bukola Saraki, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to
disclose the identity of owner of the $43 million (N15 billion) discovered at
the Ikoyi, Lagos luxury apartment and save Nigerians the embarrassment the
controversy trailing the recovered money has caused.
He warned that not doing so would further dent the image of the country,
especially as it concerns the war on corruption.
The Senate president, who spoke on Arise Television, while reechoing calls by
prominent Nigerians, including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), Femi
Falana and Mike Ozekhome, said the EFCC should not have allowed the controversy
over ownership of the money to have arisen.
According to him, the commission should save the country the ongoing debate
about who kept the money there, by naming those connected to it.
He said: “I don’t think I should speculate or join the conversation on who the
money belongs to. I know it is the responsibility of the EFCC to reveal who the
money belongs to. This is very simple.
The agency that recovered the money
should reveal who the money belongs to, in order to put an end to this.
“It is not good for the image of this country. It is not good for EFCC image if
it is not what it claims to be. We have heard different views, whether it is an
individual, company, state government or an agency. I
think this circus must end.
think this circus must end.
They owe it to Nigerians to tell us who the money
belongs to. I am of the view that the fight against corruption is institutional
and we must reduce this sensationalism.
“This matter should not have happened in the first place. If they don’t resolve it, we might invite them, but I am saying it should not have
arisen at all.
“This matter should not have happened in the first place. If they don’t resolve it, we might invite them, but I am saying it should not have
arisen at all.
“They (EFCC) must save Nigeria this embarrassment and if they don’t put it to
rest, they might come before the House of Representatives or the Senate.”
The Senate president, who also spoke about a wide range of issues concerning
the relationship between the executive and the legislature, said the two arms
of government were not at war.
He contended that the nature of presidential system of government,
which Nigeria practices, gives room for checks and balances, adding that the Senate had always responded positively to presidential nominations.
which Nigeria practices, gives room for checks and balances, adding that the Senate had always responded positively to presidential nominations.
Saraki declared that one or two instances should not be used to judge the
relationship between the Senate or the National Assembly and the executive,
adding that 90 per cent of the presidential nominees were passed.
The Senate president also declared that the committee on executive-legislature
face-off, set up by the Presidency, was yet to communicate the Senate since the
announcement.
Saying the executive might have changed its mind on the committee, Saraki stated that the team was not set up because of the rejection of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the EFCC.
Saying the executive might have changed its mind on the committee, Saraki stated that the team was not set up because of the rejection of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the EFCC.
Meanwhile, as part of its efforts to ascertain the owner of the recovered N15
billion, the EFCC has conducted searches in flats in the Ikoyi building.
Daily Sun gathered that the anti-corruption agency, after the discovery of the
money, sent its operatives to search all the flats in the building, following
initial suspicion that some tenants therein may know something about the
occupant of the apartment where the money was discovered.
Since nothing incriminating was discovered in the flats so searched, nobody has
been invited for questioning or arrested, it was gathered.
By Iheanacho Nwosu
