“Variety they say is the spice of life”, as the present leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC under Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, had been enmeshed in various scandalous of activities, ranging from personal crimes, to crimes against the personnel of the Anti-graft agency. These are not limited to Bribery and Corruption, Looting, Contract Inflation, Diversion of Funds, and many more, which could only reveal itself when Mr. Lamorde is brought to book by this present Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Dating back to November 2011, the Staff of the EFCC were all on their toes, both duty wise as well as motivations from the former Chairman; Mrs. Farida Waziri. Until the journey to Mount Sinai was cut-short by Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who felt there was need to relegate the Agency, owing to the indictment of himself and Patience Jonathan on Corrupt practices in Bayelsa State. As a result of which Mrs. Farida was booted out of office to pave way for someone who would do the bidding of the GEJ’s administration. In Mr. Lamorde, they found that personality, whom today has become a “Fat-Cow”, outweighing his usefulness as an Anti-graft warrior. This man attained the unsolicited status in the country, by way of feeding on the entitlements of his subjects; the EFCC Staff. As such, he made hays while the sun set, in order to escape the whip of a bigger Anti-graft Warrior; President Buhari.
Unfortunately, the same entitlements of the EFCC Staff herein referred above, was benefited by Mr. Lamorde, when he was newly posted back to the Agency as its Director of Operations, under the then Chairman Mrs. Farida Waziri. The entitlements otherwise referred to as “Allowances” include but not limited to; Dressing/Suit Allowance, Incentive Allowance, Hazard Allowance, Life Assurance, and in other cases Overtime Allowance and Upfront Allowance to enable the EFCC Staff tackle their rent predicaments and other projects, in order to prevent the staff from illegal enrichment. All these allowances were fought for and approval gotten by the erstwhile Chairman Mrs. Farida, from the Salaries and Wages Commission in the percentages 5%, 10%, 25% of the Annual Consolidated Salary respectively. In most cases, Mr. Lamorde splits these allowances each into 1/4 to pay staff, so that it becomes invaluable to them. Also included in the robbing of the EFCC Staff, is the way and manner in which “Staff Training” has fallen down drastically, because fund meant for this overhead is being diverted by Mr. Lamorde and his cronies for self aggrandizement. But to the greatest dismay of the Staff of the Anti-graft agency, since taking over in 2011 to date, Mr. Lamorde has always claimed that no allocation came from the GEJ’s Federal Government to pay his Staff. Let’s not forget that the same Mrs. Farida who was sacked by GEJ, was taking care of her staff welfare under that administration. How much more Mr. Lamorde, that was appointed by that same GEJ’s government. Who is Mr. Lamorde deceiving? I guess it’s his domestic pets at home. Yet, question are put to him from within the agency, as to where he get the funds he uses to Jet-Out of the Country virtually every month to the United Kingdom UK. Or most importantly, questions like how Mr. Lamorde gets the funds for building one of the most Expensive Hotels in the FCT. May be also, funds for other top Estates in Abuja owned by Mr. Lamorde, as well as the Operations of Bureau De’ Change worth $800m Eight Hundred Million Dollars. Including, the way and manner in which Mr. Lamorde and his Image Maker; Wilson Nwajah dip their hands into the funds of the EFCC to bribe Media outfits, in order not to expose their nefarious loot and atrocities in the anti-graft agency. No wonder, media outfits like Sahara Reporters ran down Mrs. Farida Waziri, but has never made any expose of Mr. Lamorde, despite several damning maladministration. This according to reports have bankrupt the agency, to an extent that its Staff live from hand to mouth when salaries are paid. A situation, which once made the Commission Secretary; Mr. Emmanuel Armo Adebgoyega to voice out against the EFCC leadership as par Staff Welfare. The scenario which today, Mr. Lamorde sees as disloyalty to him from the Secretary. An irony in which, Mr. Aremo does not care, but rather continues to expose the dirty dealings of the EFCC Management in their faces. Thus, the two last men standing, who have not delved their hands in the atrocities of Mr. Lamorde, are the Secretary of the agency and the Commandant of the EFCC Training Academy.
It is pertinent to scribe down, that Mr. Lamorde runs the affairs of the EFCC, contrary to the set-standard of Mrs. Farida and it’s founding fathers, just like an Ad-hoc nascent Organisation going through a transient process. Moreover, Mr. Lamorde and his Management team never borders about making provision for Stationery, which will help the work of investigation achieve success. As alleged, stationery such as Printing Papers, Photocopiers, Printing Machines, Computers have virtually turn obsolete without any concern. Worst still, is the current Identity Card being used by the EFCC Staff since 2010 during the tenure of Mrs. Farida Waziri, which have all become defaced overtime according to what we gathered. How then, is the best expected from the EFCC Staff, including meeting the aim and objective of the anti-graft agency? The leadership of the agency under Mr. Lamorde, sees an average Staff of the EFCC as being demi-gods who are benefiting too much from the system, above some ranks in the Nigeria Police Force, through staff motivation. Yet, this same Mr. Lamorde, forgets that the EFCC Staff tend to risk their lives, while going and chasing after corrupt people. In the course of which, some Operatives of the EFCC face Death Threatsfrom high profile suspects, thereby militating the fight against corruption. Thus, Mr. Lamorde does all he can to “Break the Incorruptible Staff of the EFCC”, whereby they are forced and pushed to the wall in order to boomerang and become corrupt. With this, the aim of crippling the Anti-graft agency would be achieved, since Mr. Lamorde himself had no interest of the agency at heart.
To make matters worse, Mr. Lamorde has resort to carrying out vendetta on his Staff, accusing them of going to the Media to expose his atrocities. Which to him, he rather not approve these allowances for payment to the EFCC Staff, and that the worst he awaits damning anybody. The fact here is that Mr. Lamorde believes he has been able to penetrate the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government, through a selfish and corrupt Regular Operative staff of the agency; Habibu Aliyu in Pension Unit of the EFCC, whose brother a former House of Representative NASS, is an associate of the President. Worthy of note and astonishing, Mr. Lamorde does not care about the life and safety of his Staff, as he had since the last leadership, halted the “Life Assurance” scheme, which Mrs. Farida Waziri embarked upon to boost the morale of EFCC Staff. We believe in strong terms, that the reason for the awakening of the EFCC under this present administration of President Buhari, is nothing but an “Eye-Service”, all in a bid to further make the President believe that it was the administration of GEJ that prevented the agency from carrying out its statutory mandate. Even though, we know to an extent that the past FG showed a look-warm attitude towards the fight against corruption, but if you recall, Mrs. Farida worked a while under that government and she did her job diligently. Not the braggadose we see in media today, on the Arrest and Prosecution of past Governors. We are reliably informed that, these were cases which Mrs. Farida started before she was ousted. Let us all ask Mr. Lamorde about past Governors like Sen. Ali Modu Sherrif (purported BH Sponsor)- Borno State, Ex-Gov. Babangida Aliyu- Niger State, Ex-Gov. Ramalan Yero- Kaduna State, Ex-Gov. Godswill Akpabio- Akwa Ibom State, Ex-Gov. Isa Yuguda- Bauchi State and others. The truth is that, Mr. Lamorde will tell Nigerians that he has not received any petition against these people. But in reality, he has done his bidding already, and that is why he can’t go after them.
Not to be left out, under the present leadership of the EFCC, Mr. Lamorde has nurtured corruption like never before in the agency. Where he bites more than one can chew, but bullies and try to rubbish others for mere errors. In other words, Mr. Lamorde has helped to inflate contracts awarded by the agency to their various contractors. Even as some of the victims cry out in secret, on how they are being coerced by the EFCC leadership, to skyrockets the actual cost of contracts, in order to repatriate same to the Management of the Anti-graft agency. May we put it to Mr. Lamorde, that by all standard of moral justification, he is not fit to think of Investigating people like Ex-Governor Sule Lamido for taking kick-back of N1.3b from an awarded contract. A former governor, whom people all over Nigeria, have testified to his hard work in Jigawa State. This goes to show that he is far better than Mr. Lamorde himself, who cannot boost of any improvement in the lives of his Staff, since assumption of duty as the Chairman of EFCC. So, of what difference is Mr. Lamorde to Ex-Governor Sule Lamido, who is a Saint compare to the EFCC henchman.
Inclusively, we must not also forget how Mr. Lamorde became part of the beneficiary of the Pension Biometric scam, where his account was credited by the Pension Committee of Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, for a foreign biometric exercise. Till today, Mr. Lamorde has been denying that role which he played in that matter. This has contributed to the reason for persecuting Mr. Steven Orosanye, whom the EFCC has been using to gain cheap popularity under Mr. Lamorde. President Buhari can get more details from the fleeing Mr. Maina; Pension Chairman, even though we acknowledge the close relationship between the two Chairmen. Also, Mr. Lamorde has been using his family members to extort money from Chief Executive Officers CEOs of Ministries Department and Agencies MDAs, which is contrary to the principles of the President and Public Service Rule. Else, Mr. Lamorde should explain to Nigerians, how a Police Staff in the EFCC, a DSS Staff and the younger brother to Mr. Lamorde, orchestrated to defraud the CEO of a Health Institution in a North Central State of Nigeria, to the tune of about N10m Ten Million Naira. We have been inundated and authoritatively informed that Mr. Lamorde has so far destroyed that Case File from seen the light of the day. So therefore, President Buhari can see that Mr. Lamorde is not the right Anti-graft Warrior to help in the pilot of the war against corruption in this New Nigeria.
Our investigation has also revealed how Mr. Lamorde diverts the N500m Security Vote being given to him monthly, since he assumed office which he cannot account for. Also, he possesses a Strong Room (safe), where he keeps his loot and bribes in hard currencies of Dollars, Pounds and Euros. To crown it all, Mr. Lamorde has a very strong tie with one of Nigeria’s corrupt former Minister of Justice; Mohammed Adoke, where both tend to subvert justice for their personal pockets. As can be seen in the various illegal dealings, which Mohammed Adoke has been fingered. These were without conspiracy with Mr. Lamorde, who in the past and still today has been Laundering Money for most corrupt Nigerian politicians owing to the fact that he has diplomatic immunity when travelling abroad.
Therefore, the need to Boot, Investigate and Prosecute Mr. Lamorde and his Management Team has become necessary, as a way of starting the fight against corruption by this new government.
Our prayer to President Muhammadu Buhari is that, he should not be deceived by the recent “Shake-Body” of Mr. Lamorde of the EFCC. Rather, he is only buying time to try to properly hide and destroy his mess, before nemesis catches up with him. We expect that not too long, the type of dosage given to the Pot-Bellied Service Chiefs, would be meted out to Mr. Lamorde and his companions in other Law Enforcement and Para-Military Agencies across the country. “The Hunter, MUST become the Hunted”, that is what the EFCC needs and the time to act is now.
God bless President Muhammadu Buhari, and our country Nigeria at large.
* Firdausi can be reached through:
@mmfirdausi
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