By Egufe Yafugborhi

WARRI— IJAW leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has said that anti-graft agencies in the country will sink the “genuine anti-corruption fight” by President Muhammadu Buhari, unless those heading the agencies live above board.

E. K. Clark

Clark, at his Kiagbodo country home, Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, also expressed the concern, yesterday, over the re-arraignment of former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu and his Oyo State counterpart, Rasheed Ladoja, on corruption charges, to the exclusion of their contemporaries equally charged in similar circumstances nine years ago.

The Ijaw leader, who accused the anti-graft agencies of delayed tactics and discriminatory trial of corruption suspects, also berated the “bar and senior members of the bench” for the rot in the Nigerian judiciary, adding that he predicted the drift into arrest and trial of suspected corrupt judges and lawyers.

In an open letter to Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice, read by Dr. Fred Mulade, his aide, Chief Clark noted: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC’s re- arraignment of Kalu and Ladoja negates the principle of impartiality. The war against corruption should be total.

“Both former governors were charged to court same time with some other governors in their various states about nine years ago, some of whom have been distinguished senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for eight years now. They have no immunity. Only Fayose currently has immunity.

“If they all had been re-arraigned and tried to logical conclusion, corruption would have been stopped half way in this country and the battle made easy for Buhari to fight. Nigerians should not be given the impression that certain persons are untouchable and above the law.

“These are some cases for which I had to address open letters calling on past governments to expedite their trials. If these people remain in the Senate, as celebrities for about nine years now, where are our courts? Our country is in recession today, if we don’t eradicate corruption, we will never get of the recession.”