The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said vowed to take a stern action against its National Assembly liaison officer who decorated Deputy senate president, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, with the unauthorised title of ‘ambassador of anti-corruption’.
In an updated statement to the one earlier issued, the anti-graft agency said it views the action of the liaison officer, Suleiman Bakari as “highly unprofessional”.
It said Bakari’s conduct was yet another manifestation of ‘Corruption Fighting Back.’
“This leg of the despicable campaign, which is unfortunately being carried out by a staff of the Commission, had been foreshadowed in recent weeks by other questionable acts. For instance, all through last week, some courts issued a string of anti-EFCC rulings looking like calculated attempts to derail the anti-corruption war, even as there were indications of the capture of a prominent section of the media by dark forces.
“The picture of organised corruption marshalling its evil forces to launch a sustained fight-back becomes clearer, if cognisance is taken of the bewildering insistence of the Senate to carry on with the ill-advised amendment of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal Act as well as the inexplicable provisions proposed for amendment of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
“Let it be underscored that the statutory mandate of the EFCC is the investigation and prosecution of all economic and financial crimes cases, which does not include phoney decoration of any individual as “Anti-corruption Ambassador”.
“That award and title are unknown to the EFCC and could not have been invested as purported, on behalf of the Acting Chairman, Management and staff of the EFCC.
“Further, the Commission is not in the habit of awarding titles to individuals. Those who seek titles for reasons of waging a counter-onslaught against the war on corruption in addition to massaging inflated sense of influence know the quarters to approach for such dubious honours. Not the EFCC
“Members of the public and stakeholders in the fight against corruption are enjoined to disregard the so-called decoration, while stern administrative action is being taken on the clearly misdirected officer who acted entirely without authorisation.