EFCC OPENLY REJECTED M10M DONATION FROM THE ACTING GOVERNOR OF TARABA STATE.

At the 2013 Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance Integrity Heroes Award night at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja on Friday, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission turned down a  N10 million gift from Taraba State Acting Governor.

The incident happened when the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Josiah Sabo Kente received an award on behalf of the Acting Governor, Mr. Garba Umar.  Kente told the audience "the Acting Governor has asked me to announce N10 million donations each to the EFCC and the ICPC as our support for fighting corruption"

According to a source the room went silent before Mr. Kayode Oladele, Chief of Staff in the office of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC went to the podium.  Oladele said the donation was a violation of ethics and rules of engagement of the EFCC,

"We (the EFCC) appreciate the effort of the Acting Governor of Taraba State, but we would like to respectfully decline the donation. The only support we accept is for the Governors to continue to be accountable and transparent in their dealings."

According to a source the Taraba House Speaker tried to return to the podium but was prevented from speaking to the room again.  He is claimed to have said to the Master of Ceremony he had make a mistake and the N20 million was meant to be donated to the organizers of the program, the Foundation for Transparency and Accountability.

In a related story, the US State Department released its 2013 Annual Report on Nigeria which condemns the Jonathan government for frustrating anti-corruption efforts in the country.  The report shows several setbacks for the Economic and Financial Crime Commission:

In January the EFCC won the conviction of John Yakubu Yusuf for embezzling two billion naira ($12.6 million) from the Police Pension Fund, which carried with it a two-year prison sentence. The judge fined Yusuf 250,000 Naira ($1,570) in lieu of prison time. The next day, the EFCC re-arrested Yusuf on the charge of failing to declare a 250 million Naira ($1.57 million) bank account on his mandatory Declaration of Assets Form. Yusuf remained in custody pending trial at the end of the year;

In February 2012 the EFCC brought criminal charges against former governor of Bayelsa State Timipre Sylva for laundering almost five billion Naira ($31.4 million) of funds belonging to Bayelsa State. In October 2012 the EFCC seized 48 properties worth approximately one billion Naira ($6.3 million) allegedly belonging to Sylva in Abuja. Sylva was granted bail in January 2013. The EFCC discovered still more evidence of Sylva’s money laundering activities, and after he refused to cooperate with the investigation, the EFCC arrested him again in May to bring new charges, raising the amount of money he was suspected of laundering to 6.46 billion Naira ($40.6 million). The court held Sylva in custody for one month before granting him bail of 100 million Naira ($628,000); the court refused his request to return his passports to travel to London with his wife”.

In March, President Jonathan pardoned former Bayelsa state governor Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, who was convicted in 2008 for embezzling more than $10 million in state funds. While Alamieyeseigha served two years in prison and forfeited the property he held in the country, he was still wanted in the United Kingdom on money laundering charges, and another foreign government seized his assets. By granting him a pardon, President Jonathan paved the way for Alamieyeseigha to run for another elected office or to hold other appointed offices;

The trial of Representative Farouk Lawan charged with soliciting a bribe from Femi Otedola, president and chief executive officer of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, started on October 23. On July 4,  the Federal High Court in Abuja acquitted former minister of works and housing Hassan Lawal. In May 2011 the EFCC arrested Lawal on 24 counts of fraudulently awarding contracts, money laundering, and embezzlement of 75 billion Naira ($471 million);

On May 28, the Federal High Court in Abuja started the trial of former speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole for making fraudulent contracts worth 894 million Naira ($5.6 million); it continued at year’s end.

The report concluded that despite the arrest of several high-ranking officials by the EFCC, allegations continue that agency investigations target individuals who  fall out of favor with the government, while those who were in favor continue their activities with impunity.