Resign now, group tells EFCC boss

A group, Anti-Corruption Coalition, has advised the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, to resign immediately for failing to appear before the Senate to answer allegations of corruption.
The ACC said this in a statement by its protem Coordinator, Mr. Mohammed Saliu, on Sunday.

Lamorde had been accused by one George Uboh of diverting monies recovered from a convicted former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun; and a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions subsequently invited Lamorde to answer to the allegations of diverting over N2.061tr recovered funds. The EFCC boss, however, refused to show up.

Reacting to the development, the group gave Lamorde a seven-day ultimatum to appear before the Senate or resign.

The statement read in part, “It has been two weeks since the nation was greeted with a series of weighty allegations of fraud against the EFCC chairman as contained in a petition submitted to the Senate by a whistleblower, Mr. George Uboh.

“On August 26, the Senate held a public hearing on the allegations of fraud against Lamorde but he snubbed the panel.

“Two weeks after, Mr Lamorde is still yet to appear before the Senate Committee or offer the Nigerian public whose taxes are being used to pay his salary and fund the agency, any explanation or defence. We find this strange, abnormal and ridiculous.”

While expressing its determination to embark on protests and legal actions to compel Lamorde to speak up, resign or be sacked, the group wondered why the embattled EFCC boss would think that his silence would make Nigerians forget the alleged fraud.

The statement added, “Following these weighty and yet-to-be-denied allegations of fraud against Lamorde, in addition to his silence so far which we now interpret to mean admission of guilt, we hereby declare that Mr. Lamorde has lost the moral ground to continue as the Chairman of the EFCC and demand his immediate resignation or sacking by President Muhammadu Buhari.”