HURIWA Accuses EFCC Of Selective Political Witch-Hunt……Tasks Anti Graft Panel On British Daily Mail's Allegations Against Amaechi
A pro-Democracy Non-governmental organisation - HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA ) has warned that the failure of the nation's anti graft agency- Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the sources of campaign fund of the central government of All Progressives Congress even whilst it is focusing extensively on PDP has inevitably affected the credibility of the anti corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Besides, HURIWA said the continuous gross disrespect of constitutional due process in carrying out its investigations and the heavy reliance and preference given to sensational media trials of allegedly corrupt persons by the anti-graft agency has adversely diminished the gains of the democratisation efforts that Nigerians have made since the return of civil rule in 1999 and could return Nigeria to a military style civilian dictatorship if Nigerians remained docile as it were.
"EFCC just as DSS is currently in a frenzied mood to turn the hands of the clock of democracy back by several centuries by conducting itself as if it is a law unto itself. The impunity of crass disrespect to binding orders of competent courts of law as against section 6 of the Nigerian Constitution will inevitably backfire sooner rather than later and could cost the nation extensive payouts by way of damages and compensations to victims of arbitrary arrests and media persecution by EFCC".
Citing the selective application of administrative bails on the ground of regional or political affiliations to suspects accused of offences bordering on corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and it's consistent disrespect to bail orders granted to certain individuals amounted to political witchhunt.
HURIWA cited examples of erstwhile Aviation minister Mr Femi Fani Kayode detained even after he reportedly met the administrative bail conditions as a case of classical application of primitive disrespect of the due process of the law.
HURIWA expressed shock and consternation that weeks after a respected Newspaper in the United Kingdom, UK, ‘The Mail Daily’ , has on Sunday, May 15, published a report revealing how the former Governor of Rivers State and current Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, allegedly diverted Rivers State fund to finance the APC 2015 Presidential polls, the nation’s anti corruption agencies have grown cold feet to even invite the erstwhile Rivers State governor to say what he knew about these swirling allegations of heists which even a judicial commission of inquiry set up by his successor Mr Nyessom Wike allegedly indicted him for mismanagement of state funds.
HURIWA lamented that several weeks after the report in the foreign press reportedly added, that President Muhammadu Buhari’s allegedly ‘fantastically corrupt” friend, spent over $140 million on the president’s 2015 campaign and has been accused of allegedly stealing £500 million, the Federal Government and by extension the relevant anti corruption agencies have done nothing to transparently verify the accuracy of the report and to take a definitive action to investigate the matter particularly when a Judicial commission set up by Governor Nyessom Wike had alleged massive theft of Rivers State's financial resources under the immediate past Rivers State administration.
The Rights group in a statement signed jointly by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf lamented that this alleged revelation made against the current Transportation Minister is coming in the wake of a remark penultimate week by UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, in which he described Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, tagging the West African giant as fantastically corrupt”.
HURIWA challenged civil society groups and leaders of thoughts who are genuinely patriotic to speak out now and reject the one sided pursuit of only one set of alleged thieves of public fund whereas others similarly accused are allowed to roam freely in the corridors of power in Abuja and even one of them declared wanted in the United States over fraud is a State governor.