EFCC ignoring UK advice on 2019 polls – Secondus

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The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, has berated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for its alleged unconcealed bias in execution of the anti-corruption war in the country.

Secondus said that the recent arrest and harassment of contractors handling projects in only PDP states had clearly exposed the anti graft agency as doing the bidding of the ruling party ahead of the 2019 polls.

The PDP chairman alleged in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, that the EFCC had deployed its operatives to intimidate and harass contractors handling various projects in some PDP states with the aim of frustrating their project goals which he said had visibly placed them far ahead of their colleagues in the All Progressives Congress states.

He said in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mr.  Ike Abonyi, that the commission had remained beclouded in its alleged bias and had refused to heed advice from well-meaning Nigerians and international watchers including the recent one from the British High Commissioner to Nigeria Mr. Paul Arkwright, asking it not to take sides with any political party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The High Commissioner, while on a visit to the EFCC in Abuja on Wednesday, had said that both “INEC and EFCC should be there to preserve the integrity of the political process,  including taking investigations without prejudice on one side or the other.”

Secondus, however, noted that the commission rather than listen to such advice, had instead made itself “a willing tool to assist the drowning APC ahead of the 2019 general elections.”

He added, “Rather than encourage states who are seriously involved in the delivery of democracy dividends to their people, the envious ruling APC has been conniving with the relevant agencies to be harassing contractors ostensibly to frustrate and slow them down in their development strides.

“Contractors in Taraba and Rivers states as well as other PDP states are being harassed by the EFCC operatives and are being arm-twisted to implicate the PDP leaders.

“Intelligence is available to the party that the ruling party and the Federal Government have resolved to ensure that the PDP states are permanently put on their toes so as not to get their bearing ahead of the 2019 general elections.

“It would be clear to the world and discerning minds that the PDP governors are doing fantastic jobs executing projects that touch the lives of their people unlike their APC counterparts

“In some states like Taraba where projects have been halted as a result of the EFCC meddlesomeness, the unemployment situation has worsened.”

Secondus also called on the international community to note the alleged growing impunity where he said anti-graft agencies now usurp the oversight functions of the state Houses of Assembly.

Punchng

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