Bribery: Group puts EFCC on alert against aspirants

By Emmanuel Aziken

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC was at the weekend put on the alert over an alleged plot by one or more of the four governorship aspirants in the National Assembly to use funds accumulated from constituency funds to bribe delegates in the forthcoming APC and PDP primaries.

The petition by the Anambra Conscience Movement, also said that the National Assembly governorship aspirant(s) may have also diverted aids and other supports meant for their constituencies to use as bribe at the forthcoming governorship primaries.

The petition specifically charged the anti-graft commission to investigate the source of funds used by the aspirants to purchase motor-cycles, tricycles, grinding machines and other materials it claimed some of the aspirants want to use as bribe in the forthcoming primaries.

The movement specifically mentioned Senator Stella Oduah, Senator Andy Uba, Rep. Tony Nwoye and Rep. Lynda Ikpeazu as those to be investigated.

The petition which was received by the office of the EFCC chairman on Friday, August 11 was signed by the movement’s president, Chief Godwin Chukwuyenlu and Secretary Prince Osita Nwankwo.

Senator Uba has been in the National Assembly for six years, Senator Oduah is in his second year in the Senate, Nwoye has spent a year and about eight months while Rep. Ikpeazu is spending her second year after having spent an earlier term in the Fourth National Assembly.

The petition dated August 9, 2017 while noting the efforts made by the four National Assembly members to woo support from delegates, noted thus: “Sir, we also have received credible information that orders have been placed for a large number of cars, tricycles and motorcycles also to be diverted for election campaign purposes. These orders are to be paid for with funds which were supposed to be used for Constituency projects but which were diverted.

“Also some of the materials like sewing machines, grinding machines, motorcycles etc are materials which were collected over the years for empowerment of constituents from the MGD office and other empowerment agencies of government but were hoarded and are now being used to induce delegates.

“Several of the people being given these items are not from within the constituencies being represented by the members who are involved in this. Every Senator and Honourable member has a specific constituency which is not the whole state. The act of denying constituents of their rightful benefits and the use of such materials for campaign purposes and outside the constituency it is originally meant for is condemnable and must be stopped immediately.

“You will recall Sir, that the Electoral Act provides that candidates for election into the office of Governor of a State should not spend more than N200, 000, 000:00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) only and should not receive donations in excess of N1, 000, 000:00 (One Million Naira) only from any individual.

“It is based on the above that we earnestly request that you swing into  action and put a stop to this unbridled looting and diverting of funds as it will be a lot easier for the Commission to prevent and recover these monies before it gets lost in the euphoria of campaign.

“We call on you to immediately invite all the aspirants who are currently public officers including the above named members of the National Assembly to inquire into the sources of the humongous amounts of money they are sharing, unravel to confirm the source of money and the identity (ies) of the public officer(s) who has or have ordered for the cars, tricycles motorcycles, sewing machines and other items.

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