By Job Osazuwa
senior Advocate of Nigeria and rights activist, Femi Falana, has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for carrying out detailed investigation of alleged looting of the N522 billion London/Paris loan refund paid to the 36 states of the Federation.
Falana said despite “official pressure and blackmail mounted by a clique of power mongers on the anti-graft agency,” the Commission has “continued the war on alleged criminal diversion of N19 billion out of the loan refund through the account of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).”
The lawyer described the diversion as “the height of impunity” and said there was “no statutory nexus between the friendly club of state governors and the Federation Account.”
Falana expressed gratitude that the accounts warehousing the said N19 billion in some banks, have since been frozen by the EFCC.
The activist said it was immoral and criminal for anybody to corner bailout funds and loan refund earmarked by the Federal Government for payment of outstanding entitlements of serving and retired employees, consequently leaving the victims to suffer the consequences.
He, however, charged EFCC to recover the stolen money and ensure that all the indicted suspects were charged to court without further delay.
He further urged the agency to call off the bluff of a few public officers who have sworn to frustrate the war against corruption being waged by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.