TheCable

The house of representatives on Thursday recommended the prosecution of Pius Anyim, a former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) over the Abuja centenary city project.

The recommendation came in form of a resolution directed to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Anyim  played a huge role in the project, which cost over $18 billion.

According to PUNCH, the resolution by the lower legislative chamber followed the consideration and approval of a report presented to the house by the committee on the federal capital territory (FCT) which probed alleged infractions in the project.

On February 3, Anyim, while appearing before the committee, accused the Herman Hembe, the committee’s chairman, of “deep-seated personal bias”.

The former SGF described the probe into the project as a vendetta carried out on him by Hembe.

He demanded that Hembe resign from the panel, and allow his deputy take over.

“Mr Chairman I said one, you have told everybody who cared to listen that when the former DG of Security and Exchange Commission accused you of demanding bribe from her, you pushed for her to be sacked and I refused to sack her while I was SGF and this is an opportunity to pay me back,” he had said.

However, at plenary, the committee’s report said Anyim and others involved in the project “abused” the detectives of former president Goodluck Jonathan who during his tenure approved the project.

The committee also said Anyim and his associates flouted existing laws guiding the Abuja land swap policy for personal gains.

The house further approved the recommendations after it was voted on.