A coalition of 259 anti-corruption, civil society and human rights groups, Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms, COTER has called on the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu to award Mr. Jim Obazee with a special National honours.
The group’s President, Dr Peter Chima Chukwu and General Secretary, Mallam Auta Ibrahim Koko, in a statement said Mr. Obazee earned the award because of the dangerous task he undertook in investigating the activities of the the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN under its past governor Godwin Emefiele.
Mr. Obazee’s report which was submitted to the president in December 2023 alleged that Emefiele employed surrogates to obtain shares in a commercial bank during his tenure as the CBN governor, and contained 17 grave allegations of financial misconduct against Emefiele.
The group commended President Bola Tinubu for the investigation and for implementation of the report from the investigation.
COTER added that Mr. Obazee has shown himself to be incorruptible and shod be considered for other national assignments.
“Obazee should be singled out by the President as an incorruptible Nigerian who is sacrificing his personal pleasure, liberty to carry out the dangerous national assignment of investigating the rot at the CBN under Emefiele. Obazee is a selfless individual who should be highly commended and recognised for all his sacrifices. Inspite of all the threats to his life and that of his family members by the agents of the corrupt people he’s investigating, he has remained unshaken and undeterred in carrying out his assignment.
“We commend the Federal Government for fishing Obazee out for the job and we urge the President to adequately appreciate him with a special National honour/award.
“The Special Investigator should also be considered for higher national assignments because we have the confidence in him, that he’ll always deliver. Nigeria should not make the mistake of allowing other countries, international agencies and organisations who are watching events in Nigeria now with keen interest to snatch Obazee away from us. Nigeria seriously needs Obazee at this moment of our journey as a nation” the group said.
Olusola Akintonde
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