The Kogi State House of Assembly has called for the immediate sack of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, over what it called the ”unprofessional handling” of the case against former governor of the state, Yahaya Bello.
During plenary in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday, the legislators condemned what they described as the commission’s operatives’ unprovoked attack on the Kogi State Government Lodge, saying it was an attack on Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the whole of Kogi people.
The Assemblymen accused the EFCC of trying to assassinate Bello and his successor, calling for an ”immediate end to the persecution of the former governor.”
The House, in its resolution, stated, “The House formally categorizes the April 17 and September 18 incidents as assassination attempts on the former governor, and by extension, a threat to the life of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
“The unprovoked attack on the Governor’s Lodge and the firing of live rounds within a diplomatic residential zone further demonstrate that the EFCC has fully marinated in a sense of its own importance and power and now considers itself not only above the law but unanswerable to anyone or institution for its actions.”
“Because the EFCC Chairman has shown constantly, gross incompetence, the House has resolved that the President should relieve him of his appointment with immediate effect and replace him with a competent officer who will give Mr. President’s crusade for rule of law the needed effectiveness.”
This followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Akus Lawal, representing Ankpa 1 State Constituency. Hon Jacob Olawunmi, Ijumu State Constituency, seconded the motion.
Lawal said the EFCC was out to humiliate and possibly kill the incumbent and former governors, which was supported by all the lawmakers.
Hon. Abu Jibril of Ajaokuta State specifically said the EFCC boss should be prosecuted for allegedly attempting to kill the governor, calling on the President to remove him immediately.
He stressed that the EFCC’s conduct shows that the chairman is incapable of leading a supposedly impartial agency like the EFCC.
“The Chairman has shown incompetence that warrants his removal,” he said.
Hon Bode Ogunmola, Ogori/Magongo State Constituency (PDP), said, “If I’m in London and there is a crisis, if I get to the Nigerian House, I will feel safe. If I’m in Abuja and there is a crisis, I believe that if I get to the Kogi Lodge, I will be safe. For the EFCC Chairman to order that fire be opened on the official lodge of the governor, he should be sacked and prosecuted. We should be told why he wants to kill our governor.”
The Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Hon. Suleiman AbdulRazak, alleged that officials of the EFCC were begging the former governor to let them pretend as if he was arrested.
He said it was an embarrassing act, which showed that the anti-graft agency was acting a script written by some political enemies of the former governor.
The lawmaker, therefore, said the President should be notified of the ‘assassination’ attempt on the duo, adding that the whole drama was a show to embarrass the former governor.
He said a coup attempt was committed at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge and called on President Tinubuto immediately remove the EFCC Chairman to save the nation from further embarrassment.
The lawmakers noted that the EFCC had an agenda different from the fight against corruption, which had been revealed by the way the Commission approached the issue of arrest, calling on all Nigerians to condemn the act.
Hon Yahaya Umar, representing Omala State Constituency said, “The unlawful conduct of the EFCC shows that the intention of the chairman is not to arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello but to ridicule the state.
“The chronology of the event shows that the problem of the chairman is not with the offences being alleged, but that they want to disgrace the defendant and Kogi State in general.”
On her part, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba, stated, “The EFCC is just trying to give the former governor a bad name through their media trial. The EFCC is not sincere in this fight. It has an agenda it is pursuing and the entire people of the state, particularly the women and youths, will not accept this.”
