The
Presidency has resolved to withdraw the nominations of Maimuna Aliyu and Sa’ad
Alanmu, who were named to the board of the anti-graft agency, ICPC,
aftermedia
exposure of the fact they are being investigated for corruption, PREMIUM TIMES
can authoritatively report.
The
development was disclosed to PREMIUM TIMES, Saturday evening, by an
authoritative presidency official, who volunteered to speak without being
named.
“The two
ICPC nominated commissioners being reported to be under investigation for
corruption will be stepping down and won’t be members of the commission,” said
the source.
Mr. Alanamu
and Ms. Aliyu were two of the 14 persons nominated on Tuesday to the board of
the ICPC, Nigeria’s second major anti-graft agency.
But the
International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, on Friday reported that
the two nominees are separately under investigations, by the police, the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the ICPC, for alleged corrupt
practices.
While Mr.
Alanamu is being investigated on corruption charges allegedly committed while
he headed several institutions in Kwara State, Ms. Aliyu has a longstanding
case of alleged abuse of office, misappropriation and diversion of public funds
against her.
The ICIR
reported that charges were already being prepared against Ms. Aliyu by the ICPC
in preparation to taking her to court when her name was announced as a member
of the new board of the commission.
Amid public
worries about how the Mr. Alanamu and Ms. Aliyu scaled security screening to
serve on the board on an anti-graft agency, despite the allegations of corruption
they face, the spokesperson to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande,
had earlier on Saturday told PREMIUM TIMES the presidency would ensure “prompt”
and “thorough” investigation into the matter.
Later on
Saturday, the ICIR reported, quoting government source, the nominees were named
without any security clearance. They were reported to have picked from names
already piled up for considerations for appointments to public offices.
A
presidential adviser, Itse Sagay, had earlier advised the removal of both
nominees if confirmed they are being investigated for corruption.
“If it is
true they are under investigation, especially by the ICPC itself, definitely it
will be improper for them to be on the board,” the law professor said.
Click to
share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new
window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)1Click to share on
LinkedIn (Opens in new window)1Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to
share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
0 Comments