The Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to include person facing corruption charges with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or any other anti-graft agencies in the list of his proposed cabinet members to be forwarded to the National Assembly for approval.
The Executive Secretary of ARDI, Chief Dennis Aghanya, said on Sunday in Abuja that this has become necessary to avoid situations whereby cabinet members would be using the resources of their ministries, departments or agencies to defend their corruption cases pressed against them by the EFCC or any other anti-graft agencies.
Daily Trust reports that the ARDI’s petition led to the trial and subsequent resignation of the suspended former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.
According to him, the EFCC and all the anti-graft agencies in the country should double their efforts in the discharge of their duties in public interest to ensure that names of persons in this category are forwarded to Mr. President to guide him in his appointments.
“The EFCC in particular is overwhelmed with cases bothering on economic fraud and may therefore not remember to ensure this duty. This is why we are highlighting this matter at this crucial period that Mr. President would be taking decisions that will bother on raising a credible team that will work with him.
“As a matter of commitment to a successful second tenure of Mr. President, especially as it has to do with the fight against corruption, we are bringing up this matter not because we have anybody targeted in mind but to serve as a wake-up call on all the parties concerned to discharge their duties efficiently so that nobody would take the blame game to the doorstep of Mr. President after his appointments.
“From our investigation so far a good number of persons distributing their CV’s around for appointment are caught in this web of allegation. All of us owe this country the duty to assist the anti-graft agencies with necessary information that would guide Mr. President in appointing persons for screening by the National Assembly into his new cabinet,” Aghanya said.
He said his organisation is also monitoring the ongoing tribunal cases as an outcome of last election and compiling findings on the activities of judges that soiled their hands, by refusing to learn from the mistakes of others.
He said, “We will forward our petition based on findings to the appropriate agency at the appropriate time. We want the judiciary to see us as partners and not antagonist. We want to take our judiciary to the era when somebody is introduced as a judge the society will accord him the respect that office used to carry in the good old days.”
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