EFCC Shun Senate President Saraki’s Briefing With Anti-Corruption Agencies

The Head of Media and Publicity for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Wilson Uwujaren has cleared the air on whether the EFCC were at the Senator Bukola Saraki’s Briefing With Anti-Corruption Agencies or not.

The EFCC spokesperson was reported saying that the EFCC had refuse to honour the invitation to the briefing the Senate President Bukola Saraki called to be briefed on anti-corruption war in Nigeria.

Mr. Wilson Uwujaren explained that a senior official of the commission said the Saraki’s invitation will do little good and it was decided to dishonour invitation to the briefing. It was also reported that another official of the EFCC defended the decision of the agency not to attend the so-called briefing. “We would ordinarily welcome an invitation to inform lawmakers about our work,” he said. “But we felt that this particular briefing has a political undertone,” he added. “We believe the senator was calling us so that he could claim that he is supporting the ongoing anti-corruption efforts,” he said. In other reports the EFCC claimed that the invitation by the Senate President Bukola Saraki to a briefing is not due process, as the senator has no right to summon the anti-corruption agencies, because committees have not been appointed by the current National.

At the briefing, it was reported that in attendance are Senator Saraki, chairman of the Independent Corruption Practices Commission (ICPC) and some members of the National Assembly. It was said that Mr. Saraki declared at the briefing, that he was committed to “zero tolerance” for corruption in the National Assembly.

But in other gathered reports EFCC agents claims there are allegations that during the tenor of the former Governor Bukola Saraki, he looted billions of naira. And also there is the issue Mr Saraki and his associates including his sister, Gbemisola Saraki, were accused of defrauding the Societe Generale Bank. Also it was said that there’s a long file of alleged corrupt practices during the time the senator was the director in the Societe Generale Bank and when during his two-term tenor as the Executive Governor of Kwara State.