Worried by the delay in investigating former Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade eight months after its petition, the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking Initiative (NACAT) has charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to open an investigation against the former governor for alleged misappropriation of funds during his time in office.
In a press briefing on Monday in Abuja, the Executive Director of Investigations at NACAT, Tega Oghenedoro, said that having submitted a petition to the EFCC on May 2, 2023, and having the petition adopted, it is, however, surprising that no investigation has been instituted against Ayade.
Oghenedoro said, “As an NGO, we have provided the entire Cross River State account details and how monies were allegedly approved by Ayade recklessly and diverted. In the course of our private and detailed investigation, we highlighted the grey areas for the EFCC to focus on. Indeed, the EFCC investigators commended us for such diligent work, which has made their work easier. We therefore wonder why Ayade has not been invited, investigated, and prosecuted.”
NACAT further stated: “The EFCC’s decision to revisit the corruption cases of former governors is laudable and has the support of all civil society organisations in Nigeria, especially that of NACAT. The affected governors as listed by the EFCC include two former Ekiti State Governors, Kayode Fayemi and Ayo Fayose; former Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle; two former Enugu State Governors, Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan Chime; former Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Adamu; former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso; former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili; former Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji; former Gombe State Governor, Danjuma Goje; former Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamako; former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva; and former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.
“In the face of this revisitation is the case of the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Governor Willie Obiano. We are, however, concerned by the fact that, despite the plethora of facts and figures, audit reports, and account statements which indict the former Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade, as submitted to the headquarters of the EFCC, nothing tangible is seen to have happened.
“The NACAT is hereby calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a status report as the curious Nigerian public wishes to know. In our submission to the EFCC, we have asked salient questions which we believe are investigation-worthy: Who received a pay-off of N2,653,318,536.38 on 12-June-2015 from the CRSG Recurrent Exp (FAAC) Account No. 2017445579 in First Bank? Who also received a pay-off of N1,400,381,417.48 from the same account on 8 June 2015? Who received the N200 million disbursed from Account CRSG CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT NO 2030459287 with First Bank Plc, on 8/16/2017? And many more questions that are yet to be answered.”
The anti-corruption group said the EFCC owes the good people of Cross River State closure and accountability for the eight years that Ayade was governor.
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