Nigeria: EFCC to Use National Assembly Clerk, Others to Nail Bankole

Chukwu David

16 June 2011

Abuja — There are indications that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have reached an agreement with senior officials of the National Assembly to appear as prosecution witnesses in the ongoing trial of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Aminu Bayero Nafada.

The new twist emerged even as the political leadership and top management staff of the National Assembly reportedly met behind closed doors yesterday to review the unfolding development.

Both Bankole and Nafada are currently standing trial at the FCT High Court. They are facing a 16 count charge of allegedly diverting a whopping N38bn.

Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Abubakar Salisu Maikasuwa, and the House of Representatives Clerk, Mr. M.A. Sani Omolori, were among the top officials of the National Assembly bureaucracy who had been interrogated by the commission so far.

It was gathered that during the interrogations, the two officers, were asked to prepare to serve as prosecution witnesses in the trials of the former Speaker Bankole and Nafada.

However serving and former members of the House have expressed reservations about the development which they saw as a dangerous twist in the unfolding drama.

Speaking on conditions of anonymity on the matter, a source declared that:

“Judging from the recent happenings, what is obvious is that the National Assembly will not be the same in terms of image and reputation at the end of all these. Remember the series of corruption related cases that had emerged since 1999 in the National Assembly and the havoc they had caused to the reputation and image of the National Assembly.”

“On the current issue, the EFCC invited some top management staff of the National Assembly including the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa and the Clerk to the House of Representatives, Mr. M.A. Sani Omolori. They were asked some specific questions about the allegations. The issue arising from that is that the EFCC wants to use the clerks as prosecution witnesses in the ongoing trial of former Presiding Officers of the House of Representatives.”

“If any of them agrees to the idea of serving as prosecution witness, then I can tell you the worst would happen to the Institution of the National Assembly. And that include the National Assembly Bureaucracy, the Senate and the House of Representatives put together. I expect that the current leadership of the National Assembly, particularly the highly respected Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Senator David Mark, should not allow this to happen.”

“EFCC should be advised to source its prosecution witnesses from outside the National Assembly. I am aware that a meeting of National Assembly Leadership and Heads of National Assembly Bureaucracy has been held. They need to hold more of such crucial meetings and come out strongly against any thing that is capable of shattering whatever remains of the image of the National Assembly”

The spokesman of EFCC, Femi Babafemi, confirmed yesterday that the submissions of both clerks sufficiently indicted former Speaker Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Nafada.

According to him, “the Commission now has more than enough documented evidence to carry the prosecution of both Bankole and Nafada to fruition.”

On plans to use Omolori and Maikasuwa as prosecution witnesses, Babafemi said “the option is not impossible”.

Bankole was granted bail last Monday but was immediately re-arrested and dragged to another court by EFCC operatives. His application for bail is expected to resume today.

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