By Cross Udo
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, yesterday that the number of governors being monitored by the Commission for alleged money laundering suspicion has increased beyond the three earlier mentioned.

Bawa disclosed this while speaking to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after meeting behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said for security reasons, he would not disclose the number and particulars of the governors, adding also that he would not want to be misrepresented.

Recall that the EFCC boss had two weeks ago hinted at the agency’s surveillance operations around three governors, whom he alleged were being watched over moves resembling money laundering, in the wake of the Federal Government’s plan to redesign and replace the naira.

The anti-corruption Czar also praised the new naira redesigning project, describing it as a significant process in the country’s fight against financial crimes and other forms of corruption.

He said the huge amount of the country’s currency that has left the hold of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, makes trailing financial crimes difficult, noting that the naira redesigning is an opportunity for the government to regain control over the flow of cash in the country.

He also reiterated that the new policy of the CBN which has the blessing of President Buhari would help to strengthen the naira, which would in turn impact positively on the economy, especially on foreign exchange.

Bawa appealed to politicians to go about their campaigns without using illegitimate funds in their campaign finances.

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Asked if it’s true he was using the ‘EagleEye’ to monitor governors wanting to use stashed funds to pay salaries, he said: “You are mixing two things. EagleEye is an app. It’s a novel idea of the EFCC that we launched for the ease of reporting the crime to us.

“Nigerians can easily download it on their phones, either Android or Apple or whatever. And then, of course, they can send in complaints to us through The EagleEye, you can even take pictures and send them.

“Let me use this opportunity to remind Nigerians that EagleEye is very important for those that are reporting the hoarders of these currencies that we know are out there. So that is one.

“On the issue of the governors that we are monitoring the numbers have even increased. We are monitoring everything.”

Bawa also lauded the proposal to redesign the naira, calling it a crucial step in the nation’s fight against financial crime and other types of corruption.

He asserted that the enormous amount of the nation’s currency that has escaped the control of the CBN makes it difficult to track down financial crimes, noting that the redesigning of the naira is a chance for the government to retake control over the flow of money in the nation.

Bawa, however, went on to appeal to politicians to go about their campaigns without using illegitimate funds in their campaign finances.

He said, “For politicians, the message is very clear. Of course, you know, they should sell themselves, they should talk about issues. We want to hear about how they are going to solve the problems, not what the problems are, I think it is very important and I think they are doing that.

“And then of course we encourage that they shouldn’t use illegitimate funds in their campaign finances and all of that.”