It has been revealed that the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Nta Ekpo, may have ordered a thorough investigation into financial transactions of eight former governors.
The former governors are Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Sullivan Chime, Enugu; Ibrahim Shema, Katsina; and Rabiu Kwankwaso, Kano. Others are Mr. Raji Fashola of Lagos State, Godswiil Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State and Alhaji Sule Lamido of Jigawa State who are on the waiting list.
It was learnt that crack teams of the commission working in the task force had been dispatched to the states to carry out the probe of the affected former governors.
The source said that the ICPC was not considering political parties or association in its response to allegations of corruption made against the affected personalities in the petition.
The source said, “It is true that we are going after eight former governors. The investigation against four of the former governors of Rivers, Katsina, Kano and Enugu has commenced.
“However, the commission has listed four other former governors who are on the waiting list because of petitions against them. They are the immediate past governors of Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi and Jigawa States.
“A Special Task Force was set up by the Chairman of the commission last week to coordinate the investigation in the states. So we are reopening the petitions through the Chairman of the Special Task Force.”
The probe is coming on the heels of a recent move by the ICPC to move 47 crack detectives to the states and the zones to strengthen them in the fight against graft in the society.
The Resident Consultant, Media and Events, of the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, refused to comment on the story when contacted.
It will be recalled that the EFCC commenced investigation of projects Amaechi executed while in office following a petition from a Port Harcourt-based The Integrity Group.
Penultimate week, Governor Masari inaugurated four committees to investigate activities of some departments and agencies in the state during Shema administration.
Kwankwaso, however, came under fire from pensioners in the state who demanded his probe over about N2 billion trust money.
Last month, several petitions by indigenes of Enugu State were forwarded to the EFCC, demanding investigation about the financial operations of the Chime administration.
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