Igbinedion: EFCC Should Tidy Up Its Acts
That the former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, is on the run again from the law for fraud-related offences will not come as a surprise to most Nigerians. This is because when the former governor was given an option to pay just a fine of N3.6 million in 2009 after he was found guilty of a one-count charge of corruption, many people cried foul.
Also outraged by the judgment was the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which initially arraigned him on a 142-count charge of corruption which was later reduced to a one-count charge following a plea bargain entered into by the accused. EFCC vowed to appeal it. The anti-corruption agency criticised the judge of the Federal High Court, Enugu, Justice A. Abdu Kafarati for imposing a fine on Igbinedion instead of sending him to jail.
The argument of the agency then was that Section 27 (3) of the EFCC Act, 2004 under which Igbinedion was charged clearly provides for a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years. For a serious offence bordering on corruption, the commision cited decided cases and submitted that the judge erred in law when he imposed a fine on Igbinedion rather than a term of imprisonment.
Now, those of us who expressed reservations about that judgment have been proved right by yesterday’s report that operatives of the EFCC are looking for Igbinedion again following fresh charges involving N25 billion preferred against him in a Federal High Court by the anti-graft agency. In fact, the report revealed that the former governor will be declared wanted this week by the commission, if he fails to appear before it.
The fresh charges against Igbinedion include an alleged conversion of Edo State Afribank shares worth over 6.2 million dollars to his personal use. The former governor was also accused of converting the state government’s shares worth N120 million in Access Bank to his personal use, as well as the purchase of Sheraton Hotel in Edo State with N300 million government funds.
According to the EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the commission was looking for the former Edo State chief executive and would explore all lawful options to ensure that all wanted persons are brought before the law.
We need not remind the anti-graft agency that it has another opportunity to redeem its image following the criticisms that trailed the first trial of Igbinedion.
It is true that the commission instructed its lawyers to appeal the judgment granting freedom to Igbinedion. Nothing was, however, heard about the case after the initial noise of seeking a redress at the Appeal Court by the commission. This made many people to conclude that the Nigerian factor has set in and justice can never be procured in the matter.
The handling of the case and similar cases by the EFCC also did a lot of damage to its credibility and image in the estimation of many Nigerians who rightly believe that the commission has lost the battle against corruption. The poor handling of the Igbinedion case and others, it was learnt, allowed foreign donors to reconsider their stand on financial assistance to the agency.
This is why we see the fresh charges filed against the corrupt former governor as a golden opportunity for the commission to redeem its image. Nothing should be left to chance in these new charges. Just like his Delta State counterpart, James Ibori, who is about to be extradited to Britain to face criminal charges, Igbinedion should be prosecuted diligently and be made to pay for his sins against the people of Edo State during his eight years as governor of the state.
In this respect, we implore the EFCC to hire the services of a good lawyer to handle the prosecution of Igbinedion. This time, he and others should be made to understand that elected representatives of the people hold office on public trust and should not do anything to breach that trust.
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