ONI URGES ICPC NOT TO TREAT PETITONS NOT SUPORTED BY AFFIDAVITS

By Lere Olayinka

Ekiti State Governor, Engr Segun Oni has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to make it compulsory for individuals and groups making complaints to the commission to always support their petitions with sworn affidavits.

Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre said in a statement made available to journalists that Governor Oni, while playing host to the Chairman of the ICPC, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola and other members of Commission in Ado-Ekiti, Governor Oni said the move would enable the commission separate genuine petitions from frivolous ones and concentrate on investigating and prosecuting people involved in corruption.

While commending the ICPC for its positive efforts in tackling corruption, Oni however noted that more efforts were still needed by the anti-corruption agencies in the country to win the battle.

“When people are in public office, it is an opportunity to give service and if they are doing it well, they are not supposed to be exposed to ridicule. Some of these people write these petitions throughout the year that you begin to wonder if they are full time ombudsmen.


Governor of Ekiti State, Engr. Segun Oni explaining a point to the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Emmanuel Ayoola going in a publication titled; “State of the State 3” containing the detailed achievements of the Engr. Segun Oni-led administration in Ekiti State during Justice Ayoola's courtesy call on the governor in his office today

Governor of Ekiti State, Engr. Segun Oni seeing off the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Emmanuel Ayoola who paid the governor a courtesy call on the governor in his office today

Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Emmanuel Ayoola in a chat with Governor of Ekiti State, Engr. Segun Oni while Legal Luminary, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) looks on during Justice Ayoola's courtesy call on the governor in his office today

“The motive of some of the writers of these frivolous petitions is purely to malign public office holders and distract the anti corruption agencies as allegations contained in the petitions are most of the time far from the truth.

We are trying our best to do things the right way,” Oni said.

The Governor, who said a change of attitude among Nigerian was

needed if the war on corruption was to be won noted that many people in the country now believe one cannot make it without cutting corners.

“Most people believe you cannot make it without cutting corners. That is why we should show-case people dedicated to what they are doing like Chief Afe Babalola who have made it in life by dint of hard work.

“We should celebrate the legal luminary and others who have genuinely made their money. I want Nigerians to change this attitude so that the world can appreciate us better. I believe that Nigeria is today underrated in the eyes of the world because of the utterances of Nigerians. We have done a lot of things right that we should celebrate,” Oni said.

While calling on the ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies not to limit their search lights on political office holders as corruption was a multi-headed monster, he called on Nigerians to always respect their nation and avoid running it down.

“Nigeria is getting better. It is unfortunate that as Nigerians we are very hard on the nation. The average Nigerian wants to run the country down, wants to present it as a no-go –area, wants to say that every thing is wrong but they should remember that things are also wrong in other lands too. So the attitude of our people should be how to lift the nation up. The anti corruption agencies should also look also beyond political office holders because corruption is a monster that must be tackled from all fronts.

Oni announced the allocation of a piece of land for the construction of ICPC state office in Ado-Ekiti.

In his remarks the ICPC Chairman, Justice Ayoola said the activities of the Commission were guided purely by the principles of justice, thoroughness, fairness and standing by the truth at all times.

He said the commission was in the state as part of the its new anti corruption strategy of promoting the virtues of excellence, hard-work, dedication to duties, transparency and the spirit of a New Nigeria as exemplified by Founder and President of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) Chief Afe Babalola, who established the university without holding any government office or being involved any case of corruption

He urged the Local Government Councils in the state to take part tin the commission's Local Government Integrity Initiative aimed at deepening accountability at the third tier of Government.

Also speaking Legal Luminary, Chief Afe Babalola who stressed that the aim of establishing ABUAD was to engender the process of changing Nigeria for the best described Governor Oni as the Real Anti Corruption man