At least 20 Civil Society Organisations on Tuesday barricaded the Abuja headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, calling for the sacking of its chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde.
The CSOs, under the umbrella of the Coalition of Civil Liberties and Equity, allege that the commission had been compromised by a powerful political cabal.
For the coalition, for President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to successfully tackle corruption in the country, it needs to sack Lamorde.
Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “Sack Lamorde now,” “Cabals have hijacked EFCC,” “Buhari merge EFCC, ICPC now,” Lamorde has been compromised”, among others.
The protest’s leader, Stanley Onukwufor, expressed disappointment in Lamorde.
“We cannot take it again. The EFCC ought to be a good agency. It did well in the past and prosecuted corrupt people. But it has turned into something else. So many things have happened. Things have gone wrong. We have a President who wants change and wants things turned around.
“We are out to let Nigerians know that we want change in the EFCC. The only thing the EFCC does is to arrest little thieves. What about the former governors who looted the treasuries of their respective states? Why is the EFCC not prosecuting them?
“Most of these politicians are known to be corrupt. The EFCC takes some of them to court and that is where everything ends. Lamorde must go in order to bring change in the EFCC.”
If the protesters thought they were there on serious business, the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren was not impressed.
“My sincere advice to Nigerians is to ignore these so-called CSOs. We should not allow a group of misguided elements to assault our collective sensibilities with a choreographed protest paid for by corrupt persons being prosecuted by the EFCC.”
He had more to say about the group of protesters that he, somewhat dismissively referred to as a “rented crowd.”
“The era when Nigerians were easily deceived by rented crowds is over. Any discerning mind could see through the selfish motive of the group. Why is it that they did not see any reason to call for the removal of Lamorde all these years until he moved against their patrons? What is the bias in charging a person indicted by a corruption investigation to court?”
He had one final piece of advice for them.
“Instead of visiting the indignity of the spectacle of rented CSOs on the nation, they should go and face their trial in court.”
Right.
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