EFCC, NDDC: You cannot fight corruption with corruption, Ohanaeze tells Buhari

Pan-Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has expressed dismay over the deepening corruption in the country, especially with the embarrassing tales coming from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Ohanaeze said that more worrisome was the fact that the anti-corruption agency, EFCC, which should be a rallying point in the fight against corruption, has become a cesspool of corruption, going by the revelations coming out of the ongoing probe of the suspended chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

Speaking with Saturday Telegraph in an exclusive chat in Enugu, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Chuks Ibegbu, likened President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime’s fight against corruption to “corruption fighting corruption”. Ibegbu similarly described as “worrisome” the ongoing fight within NDDC, which he said, has thrown up dirty and sleazy tails of mind-boggling alleged embezzlement of billions and trillions of naira.

He said: “The Presidency professes that it is fighting corruption, and yet right there under their nose, there is terrible corruption going on, that means they are not getting it right. And they are not bringing in people that are ready to fight corruption. Look, if you show me your friend I will tell you who you are.

“They are bringing in people that are criminals that have nothing to offer, that are corrupt themselves. Corruption cannot fight corruption. So the leadership recruitment system in the entire country, not only in the presidency; our recruitment mechanism, recruitment of leadership in Nigeria in general is very poor.

“Wrong people are placed in places, square pegs in round holes; that’s why we can’t move forward.

“President Buhari may be a saint, but what of the people around him? If a Saint brings in devils around him, nothing will happen. So it’s not enough to say that Buhari is a saint. They bring in people that are criminals around them, so what do you expect?”

With regards to the role of Magu, the Ohanaeze chieftain said: “What Magu allegedly did is a calamity to the fight against corruption. Whether you convict him or not, for the fact that there is accusation against somebody who purports to be the chief corruption fighter; for the fact that there are allegations against him is worrisome.

“It is worrisome, yes he has not been convicted but the information that is in public domain, it’s a matter of grave concern and it’s left for him to clear himself, all the allegations against him, the stupendous looting that he is accused of, he has to clear them one by one. And it is not going to be secret, he has to clear them in public domain, Nigerians have to know because it’s our money. “It is not secret affairs, it is our money, it is taxpayers’ money. Every Nigerian has the right to know how about all the money they have recovered from looted funds.

“Were they re-looted? Did Magu re-loot the loot? If he re-looted the loot, the Abacha loot and all the loots by our politicians. He was supposed to be there to recover the loots and give it to the Nigerian masses; for health services, for other things. So it’s left for him to clear himself.”

On the issue of NDDC, Ibegbu said that it was unfortunate and worrisome that people who have been crying of environmental degradation and neglect over the years are the same people allegedly devastating an interventionist agency meant to bring succour to the people, with corruption.

“What is happening in NDDC is a matter of grave concern, these are people that have been shouting of neglect over the years, starting from OMPADEC. The government set up OMPADEC, it was devastated by looting.

“Now NDDC, we are still hearing of the same billions and trillions that should be used to provide infrastructures for the Niger Delta Region, that some groups of hoodlums who were given opportunity to serve are looting public funds.

“So, it’s a matter of grave concern and we are calling on the militants in Niger Delta, you see, they should locate where their problem is. It’s just like the IPOB and MASSOB, for instance; they are blaming Federal Government, they are blaming Hausa/Fulani, but they should put their searchlight on our own political leaders.

“The little money that comes, for instance in Igbo land, what do the local government chairmen do with our money? Do we ask questions? Our civil society organisations; do we know the quantum of money that come into the local government every month and what do they show for this?

“Most of these chairmen will go and buy hotels; they are building hotels now everywhere. And people are not asking questions.

“IPOB is not asking question, MASSOB is not asking question, pro-Biafran groups are not asking questions. First of all, remove the log in your eyes before looking into another person’s eye. So the same thing is happening in the Niger Delta. All these militants should locate where their problem is.

“Whatever is responsible for the foul smell in the smelly rat is embedded in its body.

When you talk of marginalisation, yes, there is one coming from the Federal Government, but there is another one that is very dangerous coming from our own people whether in Niger Delta or in Igbo land.

“So what is happening in NDDC is worrisome, the minster there is from Niger Delta, most of the Managing Directors are from the Niger Delta, most the directors there are from the Niger Delta, so it’s a sharing bazaar, and they leave the people in agony,” he said. (New Telegraph)