EFCC Advised To Use Ganduje’s N10m Donation To Initiate His Trial

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s N10 million donation to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has begun to draw backlash from prominent Nigerians.

Ganduje, who is the current governor of Kano State, had on Monday donated the sum to the anti-corruption agencies who are said to be in the middle of preparations for the first National Anti-Corruption Marathon in the country.

The programme which is being jointly organised by the anti-graft agencies and the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), aims to honour President Muhammadu Buhari for his anti-corruption war in the country.

Governor Ganduje’s generosity toward the programme has however been criticised by the Senator representing Bayelsa East in the Senate, Ben Murray-Bruce, who questioned the motive behind the governor’s donation, especially as he had recently been indicted of receiving bribe from government contractor in his state.

Murray-Bruce asked the EFCC to either reject Ganduje’s donation or use the money to hire an attorney to try the governor for alleged corruption.

“I call on the EFCC and the ICPC to do the honorable thing and return Ganduje’s ‘donation’ to him. That donation is an insult. In fact, if the money is not returned to him, it should be used to hire a private prosecutor to try him,” the Senator tweeted on Tuesday.

Also criticising Ganduje’s gesture is former presidential aide, Mr Reno Omokri, who also tweeted: “The things that happen in @MBuhari’s government is worse than a badly scripted Nollywood movie! Retweet if you know this is madness”

Meanwhile, the EFCC has come out to deny receiving the said donation from the Kano State governor.

Reacting through its Facebook page late Monday, the anti-graft agency described reports of the donation as “false and deliberate attempt to malign the efforts of the commission in the fight against corruption.”

The EFCC said, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a trending story in the social media concerning a purported statement credited to the media aide of the Kano state governor to the effect that the commission got a N10 million donation from the state government,” the commission said.

“It is true that the commission, in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Crimes, ICPC and the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, AFN and other stakeholders is organising the first national anti-corruption marathon.

“Mr. Jacob Onu, the leader of the national anti-corruption marathon had in the course of his visit to the commission a fortnight ago told the acting chairman and his management about the marathon which he said is being planned in tandem with the International Anti-Corruption Day which usually comes up on December 9 every year.

“He said it was aimed at raising national consciousness on the scourge and danger of corruption to the country and the need for all and sundry to join hands to eradicate it. It is therefore very shocking to read of a purported donation of N10 million to the commission.

“The story is not only unfounded but very mischievous. For the avoidance of doubt, no state governor or some other individual or group has donated any amount of money to the EFCC to carry out the anti-corruption marathon project or any other project for that matter,” it stated.