Rumpus in Senate over probe of EFCC boss, Lamorde

The planned probe of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, by the Senate is causing another round of commotion in the upper legislative chamber.
The intending probe has caused a split among the Senators many of whom contend that the action is ill-motivated.
The EFCC boss was summoned to appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Wednesday to defend allegations that he fraudulently diverted over N1tn being proceeds of corruption recovered by the anti-graft agency.
The petition written by Mr. George Uboh, Chief Executive Officer of a security firm, Panic Alert Security System, is being promoted by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, believed to be an ally of the Senate President.
But the PDP Caucus, to which Nwaoboshi belongs, Monday opposed the probe of the allegation.
The caucus made its position known in a statement signed by the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, Sen. Phillip Aduda (FCT), Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba) and Senator Abiodun Olujimi (Ekiti).
The statement said: “It has come to the notice of the PDP leadership in the Senate that the Senate Committee on Public Petitions would begin a public hearing on Wednesday, 26th of August 2015 and the Committee has invited the Chairman of EFCC to appear before it.
“The PDP leadership in the Senate is not against any committee of the Senate performing its oversight duties and or functions but we feel that this is not the appropriate time to embark on this most important assignment, particularly since this same action was mooted and has failed at previous plenary session.
“We therefore urge the committee to suspend its public hearing on this particular matter until further notice.
“The PDP Senate leadership reassures the Nigerian public of its support for the war against corruption by the Federal Government of Nigeria but hastens to add that such fight against corruption should be total and not selective.

Read also: Alleged N1tn fraud: Senate to probe EFCC boss, Lamorde

“Nigerians need peace at this period of economic challenges precipitated by the falling oil prices and actions that will overheat the polity and generate unnecessary friction between the Executive and the Legislature should be guided.”
A statement by the commission’s Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “In the first instance, claims of a N1trillion corruption in the EFCC is infantile and assaults the sensibilities of all reasonable stakeholders in the anti- corruption fight.
“Even if the EFCC had not returned a kobo of recovered assets in its 12 years existence in addition to the yearly appropriated funds from the federation account, it will be nowhere near a trillion naira.
“This clearly exposes the mission of the so called petitioner as nothing more than mischief, designed to smear Lamorde.
”More sinister is the discovery that the so-called petition did not follow the procedure for consideration by the Senate. It was sent, not to the Senate but to a member, Senate Peter Nwaoboshi, a first term senator from Delta North”.

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