Akpabio Writes To Senate In Support Of Under Fire EFCC Chair A Day Before His Scheduled Interrogation

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The Senate, yesterday, was in disarray over a bid to probe the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over failure to remit more than N2.05 trillion, being funds recovered from corrupt former leaders.

In a move that is a sign of things to come (division) in the red chamber of the National Assembly, Senators under the Unity Forum of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), kicked against the ongoing probe of EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Lamorde. They described the process as illegal and a breach of the Senate’s Standing Orders.

Defending his petition against the EFCC and Lamorde, Chief Executive Officer, Panic Alert Security Systems (PASS) Dr. George Uboh, asked the Senate to get Lamorde arrested for failing to remit the money which the EFCC recovered between 2004 and 2013.

Uboh also asked the Senate to compel Access Bank to bring complete and unadulterated statements of EFCC from 2004 till date as well as force Aminu Ibrahim and Co, (Auditors) to shed light on the discrepancies.

Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio also wrote a letter to the National Assembly leadership, dissociating himself and other senators of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the moves to probe Lamorde, over allegation that he diverted N1 trillion from funds recovered from corrupt officials.

The allegedly diverted N1 trillion is not part of the N2.05 trillion allegedly unremited by the commission.

The letter of former Akwa Ibom State Governor Akpabio, who is scheduled to appear before the EFCC and answer questions based on the petition by the law firm of Leo Ekpenyong and Associates, is regarded as strategic by many following the developments.

Although his state had denied all the allegations levelled against him, the EFCC had insisted that he appears before its interrogators today to clear the air on the claims against him.

Four aides of the former governor had already been interrogated between Monday and Wednesday night.

A top EFCC source told Vanguard that they were slightly confused following the letter written by Akpabio, which gave tacit support to the commission’s chairman.

“We have seen what the former governor has done and we are aware that we have invited him to answer some questions relating to his tenure but we will see how the whole thing (probe of the former governor) will go,” he said.

It is, however, not clear whether the EFCC would postpone Akpabio’s appearance or his letter will ensure that he is let off the hook easily.