Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), may have decided to swoop on some immediate past governors in the country, with their constitutional immunity stripped, according to National Mirror.
Some of the state chief executives could not be touched while in office because they enjoyed constitutional immunity from prosecution despite the myriads of allegations levelled against them.
Already, the commission has commenced investigation against the administration of Ibrahim Shema in Kaduna State, Martin Elechi, Ebonyi State and Sule Lamido of Jigawa State.
In Katsina State, the EFCC has invited four top officials who served under the Shema-led administration for questioning over some financial transactions.
Those invited include the state’s accountant general; permanent secretary, Ministry of Agriculture; his Works counterpart, and the general manager of the State Road Maintenance Agency, KASROMA.
Their invitation by the commission was contained in a two-page letter signed by one Aminudeen Muhammad on behalf of its chairman, and addressed to the Secretary to the Katsina State government.
The letter, which was obtained by National Mirror yesterday, indicated that the four officials would appear before the commission today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday).
According to the letter, the officials were directed to appear before the anti-graft agency with documents detailing financial transactions in their respective ministries and departments.
The state’s accountant general, who is billed to appear today, was directed to appear with statutory budgets of the state from 2011-2015 and details of all allocations made to the state from the federation account from 2011 to May 2015.
When appearing, he is also to present details of all allocations made to the 34 local government areas of the state from the federation account from 2011 to May 2015 as well as fund releases made to KASROMA, Ministries of Works, Agriculture and Sports from 2011 to May 2015.
The KASROMA boss, permanent secretaries of the Agriculture and Works ministries are scheduled to appear on Thursday and, were directed to appear with records of all contracts awarded, yearly budget, actual fund released and actual expenditure from 2011-2015.
According to the letter, the commission is investigating a case in which there is need to obtain certain clarification from the officials.
It was gathered that the commission’s invite may not be unconnected with investigations carried out by the present administration in the state at the committee level, on financial dealings by the past government.
Our correspondent reports that the last time the EFCC quizzed state government officials was some three years ago, when it reportedly questioned officials under the Shema-led government on financial dealings worth billions belonging to the local government areas.
EFCC also, yesterday, quizzed Elechi over an alleged financial mismanagement.
A reliable source told National Mirror that the ex-governor, who came to honour the invitation, arrived the commission’s head office in Abuja at about 10:a.m.
According to him, no sooner had Elechi arrived than a team of EFCC operatives commenced his investigation.
He said he was being drilled to give account of his stewardship as two-term governor of the state christened the ‘Salt of the Nation.’
It could not be confirmed whether the ex-governor would be granted administrative bail or be remanded by the commission.
However, as at the time of filing this report, Elechi was still being investigated.
When contacted, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of the ex-governor, saying that he was being questioned over pending issue pertaining to an alleged financial recklessness.
He however declined to confirm whether the erstwhile governor would be remanded at the commission’s custody.
Wilson said: “I can confirm to you that the ex-governor is with us. He is being investigated to give account of his stewardship during his reign.
“He arrived our commission’s office at about 10:a.m and as I speak investigation is still ongoing.”
On January 29, the EFCC also invited the former governor’s son, Nnanna Elechi, for interrogation.
The agency has also turned its searchlight on Lamido, who on returning to Nigeria from abroad last week, said he would honour an invitation today over an ongoing investigation which allegedly implicated him.
He stated that because the EFCC is government’s anti-graft agency commissioned by law, there was no reason he would decline the invitation. Lamido is willing to honour the invitation and claims he would have also done so if he was still a governor with immunity.
Another former governor that may get an invite from the commission is Babangida Aliyu of Niger State.
The state’s current Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, last week accused top functionaries of the Aliyu’s government of pocketing N2.9bn on the eve of their departure.
Governor Bello said his predecessor took a loan on the eve of his departure and did nothing with the money.
And, since his assumption of office, Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State has been at loggerhead with his predecessor, Isa Yuguda, over the state’s finances.
Abubakar had accused Yuguda of leaving empty treasury, while the state allegedly received N837bn as allocation from the Federal Government in eight years.
He has threatened to invite the EFCC to investigate the administration over what he called financial recklessness.