Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has recounted how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigated him over an issue relating to his tenure as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and subsequently cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Soludo disclosed this on Friday during the inauguration of the EFCC’s Awka Zonal Directorate in Anambra State, where he praised the agency for what he described as professionalism in handling investigations.
The governor said the investigation began about two or three years after he left office as CBN governor. According to him, the EFCC was investigating the activities of one of the agencies under the CBN, particularly an action taken by its management while he was Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Soludo said he was invited to explain what he knew about the matter and complied with the invitation.
He said that after hearing nothing from the commission for about a year, he wrote to inquire about the outcome of the investigation and was informed that no evidence of wrongdoing had been uncovered.
According to Soludo:
“While talking about EFCC, I have a personal testimony to give about what I consider as the professionalism of this agency.
“When I left office as the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, about two or three years later, EFCC was investigating one of the agencies of CBN and there was something done by the management which I happened to be the Chairman of the Board of Directors when I was in office.
“I was given a one month notice to come and explain what I knew or didn’t know about what they were investigating and I showed up.
“After about a year I didn’t hear anything and I wrote asking what had happened about the investigation, they wrote to me saying ‘investigation carried out so far did not reveal anything,’ so I said go ahead.
“After two years, the former Chairman who was giving a briefing was asked about it and he said Soludo was not a subject of the investigation but because I was the Chairman they had to invite me to say what I knew about the matter on the investigation.
“Subsequently, I wrote again asking that I want to know the outcome of the investigation and EFCC wrote to me ‘at the conclusion of our investigation there is no evidence’ and I put it under the box in my room.
“I deeply appreciate that sense of professionalism because when you invite people, you investigate, when you finish, and the answer is nothing you deserve a response.”
Soludo said the experience reinforced his confidence in the importance of professionalism and due process in the work of anti-corruption agencies.
He commended the EFCC for communicating the outcome of its investigation to him after determining that there was no evidence against him.
