2006年VOA标准英语-Fire Set at Nigerian Government Office Under In

（单词翻译）

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
05 September 2006

Nigeria's anti-graft agency has vowed¹ to press on with corruption³ investigations⁴ in the northern state of Zamfara, despite a recent attack on a government office involved in a fraud probe.  The anti-corruption campaign has run into controversy⁵ amid allegations of bias⁶.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said the burning down of a government office in the northern state of Zamfara was to destroy evidence in ongoing⁷ corruption investigations.

The anti-graft agency last Monday filed charges against Governor Ahmad Sani and five other state officials for stealing more than $6 million in public funds.

Sani, who is seeking the main opposition⁸ All Nigeria Peoples Party's ticket to contest next year's presidential ballot⁹, is immune from prosecution¹⁰ because of his office.

The EFFC spokesman, Osita Nwajah, says the circumstances of the incident points to arson¹¹ perpetrated by officials desperate to cover up their misdeeds.

"We actually asked the commissioner¹² of agriculture to come help us with our investigations and that he should bring all necessary documents relating to the matter we were enquiring¹³ into," he said.  "The man came and he turns up with absolutely nothing. And then a couple of days later, the office goes up in flames.  So, it is obvious that our suspicion will go in a certain direction. Yes, we do suspect sabotage¹⁴ and we suspect this was planned arson."

Nigeria, a leading oil exporter, is rated as one of the most corrupt² countries in the world.  The EFFC says it has made several arrests and seizures¹⁵ in a high-profile anti-corruption campaign. 

		President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo

Critics say the federal agency, created by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003, has become vindictive¹⁶ and is being used by Mr. Obasanjo to settle political scores.

The EFFC has dismissed accusations¹⁷ of bias and has vowed to sanitize Nigerian politics ahead of elections in April.  Nwajah says the agency is determined¹⁸ to weed out corrupt politicians.

"We are already partnering with civil society groups to fight corruption and if ordinary Nigerians buy into this work that we are doing, we will almost have a 100 percent free and fair elections," he added.  "People who are going to be coming out and vie for elections, we would reasonably expect that they would have been scrutinized¹⁹ by the law enforcement agencies and the Nigerian people. And so, we definitely are going to have a better crop of leaders in 2007."

The EFFC says two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 state governors are suspected of corruption, but cannot be prosecuted²⁰ due to constitutional immunity²¹.

President Olusegun has publicly declared that he will thwart²² the ambition of those he described as corrupt politicians eager to succeed him.