Buhari incurs Governors wrath

• NGF engages Lawyers to challenge EFCC probe of Security Vote

President Muhammadu Buhari appears to have incurred the wrath of Governors of the 36 states of the Federation over the investigation of the disbursement of security votes by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Accordingly, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) revealed that Governors of the 36 states of the federation have engaged lawyers to challenge the power of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe security vote of state governments.

National Daily gathered that Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, at the end of the monthly National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, disclosed that the matter was deliberated upon by the governors in their meeting on Wednesday night, admitting that the lawyers had been instructed to investigate the case.

Governor Abdulaziz Yari Zamfara State, NGF Chairman, condemning the freezing of government accounts in Akwa Ibom and Benue states by the EFCC, had expressed disquiet over the way the EFCC, ICPC and others have been going about the fight against corruption in the country. Governor Yari was gathered to have expressed optimism that even President Muhammadu Buhari will not support the action.

The Zamfara State Governor had declared: “We believe strongly that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari will not sit down and supervise this illegality in the system.

“What we are saying is that we all support the government to fight corruption because it is endemic and has suffered the nation for over six decades. Definitely, it was part of what we discussed.

“What we are saying now is that we are going to support the government in terms of what it is doing to fight corruption, but the due process must be respected in whatever action the agencies are going to take in the name of fighting corruption.”