Senate presidency: EFCC, ICPC urged to beam searchlight on aspirants

A civil society organisation, Campaign for Democracy (CD), has called on the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Offences Commission to beam their searchlights on those jostling for leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.

The group, in a statement by its Secretary General, Ifeanyi Odili, said this has become imperative to ensure that aspirants for Senate presidency and House speakership did not induce the newly-elected members of the 10th National Assembly to get the positions.

Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Barau Jibrin (Kano) and David Umahi (Ebonyi) had declared interest in the Senate presidency.

Others said to be jostling for the position include Senators Mohammed Sani Musa (Niger) and Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).

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Campaign for Democracy said if the aspirants were allowed to buy their way in, it would be difficult for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to join hands with the executive to fight corruption headlong since they are products of corruption.

“It takes a corrupt senator to lobby positions with money,” Odili said.

Odili also urged the EFCC and the ICPC to ensure that no senator that is facing corruption charges or have pending cases in court is not allowed to take a sensitive position in the 10th Assembly.

He said, “They (aspirants) must all be thoroughly checked and cleared before they are allowed to contest any of these sensitive positions, most importantly, that of the Senate President.

“Most worrisome, some of the senators are still having cases at the courts ranging from money laundering and other corruption cases.

“This, we are poised to resist, if we must rid Nigeria of corruption which has become very endemic in our body system. We want senators whose track records at the Senate are unblemished.

“The anti-graft agencies must live up to people’s expectations by moving in and foreclosing any possibility of turning the 10th Senate to den of corruption.”