Placing Fayose on Watch-list, a Declaration of War Against Nigerian Constitution, says CNM

...carpet EFCC, NSC, says action Petty, Bias; Partisanship Taken Too Far  ...give anti graft agency 24 hours to withdraw memo or face mass action

By Maxwell Adeleye

The outrage trailing the placement of Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose on security watch-list by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Custom Service (NSC) continued on Monday with a sticker from a Socio-Political Pressure Group, Change Nigeria Movement (CNM) who described the action of the two central government agencies as an open declaration of war against the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended and acts of pettiness, bias and open display of partisanship taken too far by institutions funded through tax payers money to serve the people judiciously.

In a statement issued on Monday in Lagos by the group’s National Director of Information and Strategy; Mr. Abubakar Usman, CNM gave the Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu and the Comptroller General of Custom, Mr. Hamid Alli 24 hours to withdraw the memo that placed Fayose on security watch-list, and apologise to Nigerians for subjecting the two institutions to ridicule and public opprobrium or face mass action.

“Our position is that Governor Ayo Fayose is still a sitting Governor who enjoy immunity from arrest and prosecution as prescribed in section 308 (i) of 1999 constitution as amended, so, we wonder if the EFCC, Customs, Immigration Services, Police and other security agencies would say the offence(s) of the governor is or are to warrant his arrest at airport, seaport or land boarder as pettily stated in their memo that was apparently leaked to the press to embarrass the governor unknowing to them that they are embarrassing the sovereignty of Nigeria before the international community and also creating bad precedent for generation yet unborn.

“Also, just like other well-meaning Nigerians, we are embarrassed that the Ibrahim Magu led EFCC could not differentiate between the constitutional functions of the Nigerian Customs and that of the Nigerian Immigration Services, so, we are forced to ask from Mr. Ibrahim Magu if it is the function of the Customs to checkmate the movement of goods in and outside the shores of Nigeria or the movement of people in or outside the nation of Nigeria.

“We say very expressly that this is not about Fayose, the governor should face the full wrath of the law if he has stolen the commonwealth of his people; this is about safeguarding our law; an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere. We call on the Nigerian Governors Forum to speak against this tyranny; it is Fayose today, it may be another person tomorrow. Thus, we consider the actions of EFCC and NSC as a declaration of war against the constitution and sovereignty of Nigeria.”

Lampooning the EFCC for being biased and displaying open partisanship against the service rules, the group who reinstates its neutrality and affirmed its concern for promoting national interest, averred that the manner at which the anti-graft agency rejoiced over the victory of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) on July 14th governorship election in Ekiti State is unbecoming of a public institution saddled with the responsibility of impartially and objectively investigating allegation of criminal fraud perpetrated against the commonwealth of country.

“The EFCC rejoiced even than card-carrying members of the APC aftermath the narrow victory of the party on July 14thgovernorship elections in Ekiti State on its official twitter handle, so, what is currently happening is expected from Ibrahim Magu and his foot soldiers who had in the past three years, showed that they are only interested in oppressing opposition against President Buhari than fighting corruption but we never knew the agency could be petty to an extent of leaking an official memo embedded with about eight official stamps to the public or placing a sitting Governor on watch list.

“We wish to ask what the EFCC, Nigerian Police, Nigerian Immigration Service and Nigeria Customs Service were looking at when the recently resigned Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun who confessed to have forged her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate escaped through the Muritala Mohammed International Airports in Lagos to prevent arrest and prosecution that could land her a 14-year jail term. Was Adesoun allowed to leave Nigeria because she’s a member of the ruling APC and was Fayose placed on security watch-list because he’s a member of the opposition PDP?

“We are apolitical; ours is to promote good governance; expose fraud in public service and hold representatives and government institutions accountable to the people, hence we are worried like other concerned Nigerians, of what would become the image and credibility of the EFCC after the exit of its current chairman, Ibrahim Magu, a public servant who, from our findings, now attend the think-tank meeting of APC to fine-tune strategies and plans on how political gladiators against the re-election bid of President Muhammad Buhari would be railroaded into the infamy of media trial before being taken out of circulation.

“Nevertheless, we would not allow this pettiness and abuse of power to go unchecked for posterity sake, thus, we are giving the EFCC and Nigeria Customs Service 24 hours to dissociate themselves from the memo in circulation and apologize to Nigerians. We warn that failure to do as advised would be greeted by a mother of all mass action at the premises of EFCC office in Lagos and Abuja in a jiffy” CNM said.