The Kogi State House of Assembly has passed a motion calling for the immediate removal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, over what they described as his unprofessional handling of the case against Yahaya Bello.
The assembly stated during a plenary in Lokoja on Monday that the EFCC, through its unprovoked attack on the Kogi State government lodge, was assaulting Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the entire Kogi people.
The lawmakers’ action followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Akus Lawal, representing Ankpa 1 Constituency.
The motion was seconded by Hon Jacob Olawunmi, representing Ijumu Constituency in the Kogi Assembly.
The lawmakers accused the EFCC of the assassination attempt on the former Kogi governor and his successor, stressing “the persecution of the former governor has gone on for too long and must stop.”
Akus in his motion said the EFCC was “out to humiliate and possibly kill the incumbent and former governors.”
Speaking in their unanimous support for the motion, Hon. Abu Jibril of Ajaokuta said “the EFCC boss should be prosecuted for attempting to kill the governor” and called on President Bola Tinubu to remove him immediately.
According to Jibril, the conduct of the EFCC showed that the chairman was “incapable of leading a supposed impartial agency like the EFCC,” averring that “the Chairman has shown incompetence that warrants his removal.”
Hon Bode Ogunmola, Ogori/Magongo Constituency (PDP), said: “If I am in London and there is a crisis, if I get to the Nigerian House, I will feel safe. If I am in Abuja and there is a crisis, I believe that if I get to the Kogi Lodge, I will be safe. For the EFCC Chairman to order that fire be opened on the official lodge of the governor, he should be sacked and prosecuted. We should be told why he wants to kill our governor.”
This, they said, must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.
Hon Yahaya Umar, representing Omala 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.”
On her part, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt Hon. Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba, said: “The EFCC is just trying to give the former governor a bad name through their media trial. The EFCC is not sincere in this fight. It has an agenda it is pursuing and the entire people of the state, particularly the women and youths, will not accept this.”
The Assembly, during the sitting, passed a resolution commending President Tinubu for his “economic policies which are aimed at building a strong and virile economy that will be the envy of all.”
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Yusuf, who read out the resolution, stated: “The House formally categorises the April 17 and September 18 incidents as assassination attempts on the former governor, and by extension, a threat to the life of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
“The unprovoked attack on the Governor’s Lodge and the firing of live rounds within a diplomatic residential zone further demonstrate that the EFCC has fully marinated in a sense of its own importance and power and now considers itself not only above the law but unanswerable to anyone or institution for its actions.
“Because the EFCC Chairman has shown constantly, gross incompetence, the House has resolved that the President should relieve him of his appointment with immediate effect and replace him with a competent officer who will give Mr. President’s crusade for rule of law the needed effectiveness.”
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