I want to contribute to the ongoing debate by adding more intellectual flavor and colouration to it. Despite the controversy, which has trailed the probing of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials by the 8th Nigerian Senate for allegedly diverting recovered looted funds put at a mind boggling figure of one trillion naira, the propriety of probing the dreaded anti-graft agency remains unassailable and unimpeachable. The petition by one George Ugboh, the chief executive officer of Panic Alert Security Systems that EFCC allegedly diverted N1 trillion recovered from corrupt individuals and organizations sparked off the Senate’s probe. The probe which has just began in the Senate demonstrates that there is no more sacred cow in our anti-corruption lexicon and criminal justice system and no matter how long it takes, the long arm of the law will one day catch up with anybody who has committed impunity in public office. There is a popular saying that many days for the thief, one day is for the owner. There have been wide spread innuendos, speculations and whispering rumours that EFCC the hunter is not better than the hunted thieves. There is need to officially test the veracity of these rife rumours that have pervaded the space and the integrity of the people whom we have entrusted with the task of recovering our looted common wealth. At the end of the day, it will be confirmed whether these EFCC officials are tested and trusted and are indeed living above board. One popular businessman from Abagana, Anambra State, whom the court convicted of financial crimes based on EFCC’s prosecution once raised alarm on the diversion of his seized properties into private use but instead of looking deep into this allegation, the EFCC “Self-righteous officials” returned fire with fire by calling the alarmist thief. It is sacrilegious and abomination for a goat to eat the meat hung around its neck. The late radical historian and Marxist scholar, Bala Usman told former President Olusegun Obasanjo that “If you are chasing corruption, you should not allow corruption to chase you back.” At the end of the day, the immoral third term project and allegations of corruption raised publicly against Obasanjo by his Vice Atiku Abubakar chased Obasanjo out of office. Nigerians need to know if Bala Usman’s theory is applicable to EFCC or not. Hitherto, it was unthinkable and unimaginable for anybody in Nigeria no matter how highly placed to dare EFCC. As a matter of fact, when EFCC sneezed, every political office holder caught cold. Most public office holders had the temerity and effrontery to confront EFCC only in their bedrooms. EFCC was so dreaded that the knowledge of the anti-graft agency was the beginning of wisdom for any public officer. EFCC became a leviathan and very powerful that nobody dared challenge it. There is a popular saying in political science that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. My University Lecturer, Dr. Jaachimike Adiele used to say, “freedom without boundary is dangerous and can lead to licentiousness.” We need to confirm the magnitude of abuses in EFCC resulting from unchecked freedom and excess powers. Nigerians lived in a traumatized where world some EFCC officials pontificated self-righteousness and advertized personal holiness and branded others sinners and the unholy. I believe they did not use this image posturing to deceive us and I hope they are not hypocrites and white-wash sepulchers. Time will surely tell but let the Senate probe go on. One important thing is that with this probe, the invincibility myth around EFCC has been shattered and the agency should live within the boundaries of public accountability. The probe initiated by the Senate against EFCC has generated surprised controversies. The first group I noticed firing the first salvo against the probe was the minority PDP Senate leadership which hinged its position on improper timing while the second group to kick against the probe was the Senate’s Unity forum currently engaged in leadership tussle with the President of the Senate which condemned the probe as illegal. I do not want to join the mad crowd which describes any person with contrary opinion on probe as corrupt and wants to escape justice. I have a different approach to such contrary view. It is shameful, scandalous and highly embarrassing that some elements in the 8th Nigerian Senate have continued to wash the dirty linen of the Senate in the public. Most of them underrate the enormity of trust bestowed on them by Nigerians. The position they are occupying is what John Locke described as fiduciary – a trust which they must always re-affirm through doing the right thing for the people. Nigerians did not vote for them to be disgracing themselves in the public. We voted for them to give us good governance. Having mirrored the public opinion, I wish to state that it is the general consensus of Nigerians that probe of any suspected corrupt official should be done with a proviso of combining probe with good governance. It is my humble advice to the warring Senators to go inside their chamber and resolve their differences and stop thwarting public good, which is what they should promote. They should not trivialize the seriousness of the probe with dirty politicking. Nigerians are united in supporting the probe policy of PMB’s administration. The Senate is part of Buhari’s administration. Since Buhari’s probe policy is welcomed nationwide, mutatis mutandi, the Senate probe of EFCC is equally welcomed. I have read some arguments that the probe of EFCC by the Senate is used as a balance of terror for EFCC invitation to Senator Bukola Saraki’s wife to answer questions bordering on money laundering. Nicolo Machiavelli stated that among two evils, chose the lesser. Both allegations against EFCC and Saraki’s wife are evil according to Machiavelli’s wisdom and there should be no justification for any but if you ask me to comment; I will say that the allegations against the EFCC are very weighty and it is very dangerous for Nigeria if an agency entrusted with such sensitive and crucial responsibility turns round to do the opposite. I pray the allegations against EFCC are false but let the probe prove it. For the first time in the twelve year history of EFCC, let the books of the anti-graft agency be publicly examined so that the tax payers will understand what is going on there; let Nigerians know how EFCC has handled their trust and let the integrity of the trust drivers be tested. But I must warn that the Senate leadership should not display any form of bias in this exercise otherwise the essence of the probe will be truncated. Lord Hewart, a classical jurist said that, “justice should not only be done but should be seen to have been done”.
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