Group commends EFCC for investigating Ochekpe , others over campaign funds

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission ( EFCC ) has been commended for investigations into the embezzlement of government money by previous administration to fund the 2015 elections.

The group, Coalition of Youths Congress of Nigeria said what EFCC is doing is instructive as another election year approaches and expressed the hope that those involved in diverting public fund to finance elections must be punished to deter others in future.

The group, which addressed journalists  on Monday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos was reacting to the arraignment of a former Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State, Mr. Raymond Dabo and the Coordinator of Jonathan/Sambo re-election campaign in Plateau State, Evangelist Lyons Sunday Jatau who were dragged to court over allegation of embezzlement of N450 million belonging to the federal government.

The leader of the group, Mr. John Pam  said the anti-corruption stance of the present administration would ensure that such perfidy and use of money meant for the development of the country by politicians at the corridor of power would not happen again.

The trio would be arraigned on February 13, 2018 at a Federal High Court sitting in Jos, the Plateau state capital on charges of receiving the money from the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke, to finance the re-election of former President Goodluck Jonathan and his deputy.

At the first hearing of the suit, Ochekpe had told trial Justice Justice Musa Haruna Kurya that she gave the money to the late PDP governorship candidate in the 2015 gubernatorial election in Plateau G.N.S Pwajok.

The group therefore urged EFCC to leave no stone unturned to make sure that money politics in Nigeria is discouraged and also to ensure that those in the custody of public fund do not deep their hands into the till to serve themselves.

“We are commending EFCC for taking these people to court so that when found guilty justice will take its cause, which will sound as a warning to others who may want to so corrupt themselves by diverting public funds meant for the provision of social amenities for our citizens. The interest of our group is to ensure corrupt free society and for the first time we have seen a government that is determined to rid this scourge from the country,” Pam said.

 

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