The Kogi State House of Assembly has called for the immediate removal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, over his unprofessional handling of the case against the immediate past governor of the state, Yahaya Bello.
The legislators, during plenary in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday, condemned what they described as the EFCC operatives’ unprovoked attack on the Kogi State Government Lodge, saying it was an attack on the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, and the entire people of the state.
The lawmakers accused the EFCC of an assassination attempt on the former governor and the incumbent, stressing that the persecution of the former governor had gone on for too long and must stop.
This followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Akus Lawal, representing Ankpa 1 State Constituency. Hon Jacob Olawunmi, Ijumu State Constituency, seconded the motion.
Akus said the EFCC was out to humiliate and possibly kill the present and former governors. His colleagues all supported this.
Abu Jibril of Ajaokuta State specifically said the EFCC boss should be prosecuted for allegedly attempting to kill the governor. He called on the President to remove him immediately.
According to him, the EFCC’s conduct shows that the chairman is incapable of leading a supposed impartial agency like the EFCC.
“The Chairman has shown incompetence that warrants his removal,” he said.
The Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Suleiman AbdulRazak, alleged that officials of the EFCC were begging the former governor to let them pretend as if he was arrested.
He said it was an embarrassing act, which showed that the anti-graft agency was using a script written by some political enemies of the former governor.
The lawmaker therefore said the President should be notified of the assassination attempt on the present and former governors, adding that the whole drama was a show to embarrass the former governor.
He concluded that, on the fateful night, a coup attempt was committed at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge and called on the President to immediately remove the EFCC Chairman to save the nation from further embarrassment.
The lawmakers concluded that the EFCC had an agenda different from the fight against corruption, which had been revealed by the way the Commission approached the issue of arrest, this, they said, must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.
Yahaya Umar, representing Omala State Constituency said, “The unlawful conducts of the EFCC show that the intention of the chairman is not to arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello, but to ridicule the state.
“The chronology of how the event happened shows that the problem of the chairman is not with the offences being alleged, but that they want to disgrace the defendant and Kogi State in general.”
