The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission ICPC have been called upon to resist the temptation of been used by desperate politicians to damage the reputations of patriotic Nigerians with good records of stewardship to govern the Country.
The Convener of a group known as ‘Got Your Back Nigeria’ Professor Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia who made the plea in a press statement in Abuja however, condemned in totality “the deliberate plan by some desperate Nigerians who wants to tarnish the Image of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State from seeking the office of the president come 2023.”
The group was reacting to claims that a certain 20billion naira belonging to the Kogi State government was allegedly frozen by a Court through EFCC.
According to Professor Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia, “the present lie and falsehood fail because the action purportedly brought before a Court by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission EFCC regarding a certain 20billion naira allegedly fixed by the Kogi State Government in Sterling Bank for interest is patently false and fictitious. There is no Account in favour of Kogi State with such deposit in Sterling Bank, and the Bank is presently taking steps against the EFCC on the spurious claim”.
“It is on record that the balance in the Kogi State salary account with Sterling Bank is about 46 million naira only since the 19.3 billion naira meant for Salaries were deployed to that purpose in 2019″.
“To those who have gone to town with the raging falsehood about a certain 20billion naira belonging to Kogi State that was allegedly frozen by the Court, the question is, where is the 20billion that the EFCC deceived the Court into freezing? In what account is it? Can they make public the balance on the alleged Account as at the 31st of August, 2021 when the said account was frozen? Can you cage, freeze or detain what is not? How wicked and sad. As we journey towards 2023 we must as a people implore the EFCC, the ICPC and the other investigative agencies of State to ‘shine their eyes’ and resist any attempt to be used as cannon fodders for falsehood, deceit, blackmail and lies by politicians. Because the lies won’t stick”.
“Need I say clearly, that to further put the naysayers to shame and to right the wrong so done to Kogi State by the EFCC, and their fellow travelers on the path of infamy and treachery, the Kogi State Government has gone to Court against such grievous faux pas. And shall come out clean before the Law Court, and the Court of Public opinion, because this falsehood orchestrated against it will fall like a pack of cards. Yes, the lies won’t stick”.
“We must as a nation resist and refuse the chicanery of political operators who seek through falsehood and deceit to narrow the confines of political contestation. Nigerians must insist that all contestants come before the people with proof of competency and capacity not blackmail and mudslinging. We must challenge the media, the civil society and the clergy to etch new paradigms of truth over falsehood, facts over blackmail, and sound policy over pettiness as 2023 beckons”.
