Governor Ganduje Kano
Gandujegate:
Governor Ganduje Kano
Gandujegate: EFCC, ICPC urged to probe Video of
Bribery
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL)
has called on anticorruption agencies, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe video clips
showing Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, allegedly
receiving bribes from contractors.
AFRICMIL is a nongovernmental organisation working to promote
accountability and good governance through whistle blowing and
promotion of active citizens’ participation.
In a statement by AFRICMIL’s Coordinator, Chido Onumah, the
organisation described the allegations against the governor as well
as the video evidence as “too glaring to ignore.”
The allegations came into the open following publication of
video clips by online news platform, Daily Nigerian, which showed
Gov Ganduje collecting and stashing in his clothe bundles of US
dollar from someone purported to be a contractor.
“The allegations are weighty. The videos we have seen further
lend credence to the accusation and have made the affair too
serious to ignore,” Onumah said.
He said the anticorruption agencies “should rise to the occasion
by going to the root of this issue and possibly document evidence
for eventual prosecution of all those found culpable.”
“We are aware that the hands of the anti-corruption agencies are
somehow tied by constitutional immunity enjoyed by Mr. Ganduje.
This, however, does not stop them from conducting preliminary
investigation into the matter,” he noted.
According to Onumah, nothing in Section 308 of the constitution
that gives immunity to the president and governors stops the
anti-corruption agencies from interrogating Mr. Ganduje in the
process of the investigation.
“Cases like this serve as litmus tests for the operational
independence of our anticorruption agencies and political will of
the government,” Onumah noted. “ICPC and EFCC must thoroughly
investigate these videos which have become national embarrassment
and prepare ahead for eventual prosecution of Gov. Ganduje if he is
found culpable.”
The organisation commended Daily Nigerian for the exposure as
well as the contractor who recorded the clips “for patriotic act of
whistleblowing.”
Chido Onumah
Coordinator, African Centre for media & Information Literacy