Wanted ex-EFCC boss, Lamorde, dares Senate, appears in Jos

Wanted former Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim
Lamorde, was one of the 68 participants of the
Course 38 of the National Institute for Policy and
Strategic Studies, Kuru, near Jos, who were
inaugurated by the institute on Friday.
The Senate had, on Thursday, given permission to
its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public
Petitions, headed by Senator Sam Anyanwu, to
issue a warrant of arrest on Lamorde
The committee, which investigated a petition
against Lamorde by George Oboh, had asked the
Senate for the order to issue the warrant of arrest
against Lamorde to enable him to answer for his
activities during his tenure.
The petition had accused Lamorde of
misappropriating over N1tn funds.
However, while the senators were giving the
order, Lamorde was in Jos as a student of NIPSS.
The cat and mouse game between Lamorde and
the lawmakers was reminiscent of the ordeal of
his former boss, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, who was
demoted while he was admitted for the course.
However, a mild drama ensued on Friday, when
as Lamorde was leaving the event, a newspaper
vendor displayed before the ex-EFCC boss, a
newspaper publication ordering his arrest.
Lamorde, who was the focus of attendees at the
event, just blushed and disregarded the vendor
and the publication.
When one of the reporters approached the
vendor and asked if he knew it was Lamorde that
he was showing the publication to, the vendor
replied, “Na seni ai” (Yes, I know).
Speaking at the event, the Vice-President, Prof.
Yemi Osinbajo, said the cardinal objectives of the
present government was to tackle the scourge of
unemployment and foster an inclusive
development that would take marginalised and
vulnerable segments of Nigeria out of poverty in
the shortest time possible.
He said President Mohammadu Buhari chose the
theme: “Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms
for Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Development
in Nigeria,” for Course 38, to enable the
government to tackle the prevailing poverty rate
in the country which has reached 61 per cent.
He said, “Nigeria ranks 152 out of the 183
countries in the Human Development Index
assessment for 2014. This is quite worrisome and
requires urgent attention and that is why one of
the cardinal objectives of the present
administration is to tackle the scourge of
poverty.”
Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of
Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, urged the
participants to carry out extensive and detailed
research on the challenges confronting public
institutions saddled with the responsibility of
implementing poverty reduction and inclusive
development programmes in Nigeria.
He said recommendations of participants at the
end of the programme should be geared towards
accelerating the quest for sustainable national
development and improving the living standard of
the people.
In his welcome address, the representative of the
Director General, National Institute, Prof.
Mohammed Tijjani-Bande, described the theme
as not only apt but also directly relevant to
attempts at finding solutions to many of the
social, political and economic problems affecting
the nation.

Comments

Popular Posts