Paris funds: Group charges EFCC to take corruption fight to states

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been urged to extend its corruption dragnet to states particularly over the alleged misuse and diversion of the two tranches of the Paris Club refund given to states by the Federal Government.

Executive Director of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Comrade Sheriff Mulade, made the call on Thursday in Warri, Delta State.

Mulade, who’s also the chairman of Kokodiagbene community in Gbaramatu kingdom, lauded the efforts of the anti-graft body, but insisted that it should commence corruption investigations in the states.

He, however, cautioned EFCC to eschew selective investigation and the witch-hunting of perceived political enemies of the Federal Government.

“Let me commend EFCC for their activities. It takes strength and gathering of evidence to fight corruption in this country.

“However, meant of us are disappointed in the EFCC because of the way and manner that go about the fight. It looks selective.

“Corruption had eaten deep into the fabric of the nation. They should not beam their searchlights only on political office holders.

“The EFCC had kept mute in some of the issues we have raised, especially on the diversion of the Paris Funds refund by some state governments.

“For instance, the Delta State government has not been able to come out openly to debunk the diversion of N3b allegation to a reasonable level to calm the people’s minds. 

‘We have information that about 3 billion naira of the Paris Club refund had been diverted to a secret account for the 2019 electiond.

“The governors have put a machinery in place to secure and force themselves on us because we do not practise true democracy.

“I have said this times without numbers that we do not practice true democracy in Nigeria because if we do, a lot of the leaders that we have are not supposed to be there.

“EFCC  has not been able to go to some of these states to find out if these allegations are true or not.

“So rather than fighting only a few senators, they should also visit the 36 states and investigate them,” the environmental activist enthused.

Mulade, therefore, called on the EFCC to prevail on Governor Okowa to explain to tax payers what he has done with the N3 billion Paris refund money or be ready to face upheavals come 2019 elections.