The Northern Integrity Group has described Sen. Gabriel Suswam’s congratulatory message on Prof. Ibrahim Gambari’s appointment as the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari as attempt to seek sympathy over his several cases of corruption hanging over his head.
The group, in a statement issued by its coordinator, Muhammad Idris, Monday, said although it was the right of all Nigerians to felicitate with anyone government appointee, it could not hold back on the case of Suswam as he has been allegedly making efforts to frustrate corruption charges against him.
“The Northern Integrity Group has noted with dismay the hypocrisy of Senator Gabriel Suswam in congratulating the newly appointed Chief of Staff to the President, especially in trying to vilify him of any form of treachery as it’s been voiced by certain Nigerians,” the statement said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the former governor of Benue state over corruption allegations among which is N3.1billion money laundering charges; he was also detained for his alleged role in the disbursement of N23 billion linked to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke.
“We make bold to say that a person like Senator Gabriel Suswam who is a grand patron of corrupt and treacherous people can’t be the same person to vindicate another person for being clean. He simply lacks such credentials and as such should remain quiet and hide his face in shame.
“It is also ridiculous that Suswam has continued to show disdain for truth as he posited in his flowery message to the new CoS how he fought for the military invasion of Zaki Biam without acknowledging the roles of all professors of Tiv extraction and other illustrious sons and daughters of the state.
“Suswam intends to drop the name of Prof. Gambari to intimidate judges handling corruption cases against him.
“We therefore call on the EFCC and other security outfits in the fight against corruption and abuse of public office to expedite action in bringing to justice Senator Gabriel Suswam. This will serve as a deterrent to other criminally minded public servants whose sole aim of contesting elections is to pillage the people they claim to serve,” the statement added.
