By UMAR AFEGBUA, Abuja

Reacting to statements credited to the anti-corruption agency yesterday in Abuja, Prince Kassim Afegbua, Special assistant (media) to Gen. Babangida said, "as much as IBB does not intend to be on collision course with anybody in the interest of the unity of our dear country, he will not hesitate any longer to seek legal redress against the EFCC to protect his hard-earned credibility and good name which people like Nuhu Ribadu are trying to bring to ridicule".

Prince Afegbua is also acting as national chairman of the National Democratic Party, believed to be platform for Gen. Babangida had he maintained his resolve to run for the presidency. He said: "So far, in EFCC's deliberate mischief and careless statements, it has not been able to substantiate any of the claims to the contrary, except that it rejoices in dragging IBB's name to the mud for no justifiable reason." Afegbua, is also the Special Assistant, media the retired general stated.

He said out that corruption did not start in Nigeria during IBB's regime, but was part of what the Babangida administration inherited from his predecessors, stressing that "the double standard posturing of the EFCC would blindfold it from carrying out an objective assessment and assignment, but I think Nigerians are wiser now and would not be deceived by the pranks of an anti-corruption agency that has been employing selective amnesia in the discharge of its responsibility".

According to him, "in all of EFCC's 'mouth-watering' pronouncements, it has failed to establish anything against IBB, yet goes about in its usual outlandish and uncivilised manner to blackmail this leader of men, for fear that he (IBB) might join the Presidential race and rule this country once again", He berated the EFCC boss for failing to address a number of corruption prone issues in the country.

Afegbua who claimed IBB insisted on accountability, transparency and probity during his eight-year regime, challenged EFCC to tell Nigerians the whereabout of the N33 trillion naira reportedly recovered from looters so far; the annual budget and audit report of the EFCC; and what the agency is doing in view of the several allegations of corruption against the current administration.