- Calls For Investigation On Why Commission Failed To Interrogate Ex-Governor
Coalition of Civil Society Organizations have taken a swipe at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing it of deceit, insincerity, unseriousness and hypocrisy in the fight against corruption, insisting that the Commission’s reputation is at jeopardy.
The CSOs during a protest before the National Assembly on Tuesday also wondered why the parliament has not act on earlier petition against the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede four months after it was submitted.
In the petition, the CSOs called for the investigation of attack on protesters at the headquarters of the EFCC who had come to demand an end to abuse of court process in a case involving former governor Yahaya Bello.
Addressing newsmen at the National Assembly complex on Tuesday, a co-convener of the CSOs, Benjamin Oguche Ph.D also wondered why EFCC failed to interrogate former governor Yahaya Bello when he last week willingly submitted himself to the commission, after a report earlier that he was declared wanted.
“From our findings, officials of the EFCC launched an attack on peaceful protesters of the various CSO groups and Kogi Youth who had only come to register their grievances over the refusal of the EFCC to obey court order as it were in a case between the commission and the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alh Yahaya Bello which also generated unusual media attention or even media trial.
“In that petition, we raised concern on how officials of the Commission beat, wounded and molested the protesters and harrased the Journalists present. We also noted with utmost disgust the vandalisation of the vehicles, musical instruments and gadgets the group brought for the protest, including two luxurious buses belonging to the Abuja Urban Mass Transit.
“Regrettably and most shockingly, four months after that petition was lodged, no concrete action has been taken by the leadership of National Assembly and all those found culpable in using the instrument of coercion to stifle the civil space are still moving freely, including the head of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede without investigation and appropriate sanction,” Otitoleke stated.
He also accused the EFCC of engaging in needless drama with its failure to interrogate former governor Yahaya Bello, instead “invaded” Kogi Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, shooting sporadically under the disguise of attempting to arrest a private citizen.
“It is also on record that in demonstration of their sheer unseriousness, just hours after telling the man they claim to have been wanting for a long time to go home, officials of the Commission brazenly besieged the Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro against all known professional, moral, legal and even commonsensical codes, desecrating the symbol of authority of a government in power in the name of attempts to arrest an ordinary citizen.
“Till date, the EFCC has not found to face to tell Nigerians what transpired when Yahaya Bello willingly submitted himself for questioning, instead they have adopted propaganda, half-truths and outright lies in a desperate attempt to redeem a fatally battered image. Nigerians are fully aware of the theatrics and antics, therefore cannot be fooled”, he stated further.
He therefore called on the National Assembly to act on the May petition by summoning Olukoyede and for his failure to interrogate Bello when he submitted himself.
“We are therefore demanding that the Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede be immediately summoned by the National Assembly for questioning regarding the abuse of court processes for which the reputation of the EFCC under him is at all time low, including the use of state instruments to stifle the civic space.
“Also, we demand that the relevant committee of the National Assembly should immediately launch an investigation on how EFCC failed to interrogate Bello upon arrival at its Abuja office and the plot to eliminate him at Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro Abuja”, he added.
The coalition further advocated that President Tinubu should appoint a high ranking police officers as the EFCC chairman for the sake of professionalism, fight against corruption and rebuilding the global confidence the institution like EFCC
