N42B Allegation; Protesters Set To Storm EFCC Office Over Obiano

 By Okey Maduforo Awka

The arrest and quizzing of former Anambra state governor Chief Willie Obiano by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over allegations of N42 billion misappropriation has drawn the anger of people in the state who have concluded arrangements to storm the headquarters of the body next week, to seek immediate release of the former governor.

Similarly, they are bent on instituting litigation at the Federal High Court in Awka, challenging the powers of the anti-graft body to prosecute Obiano, contending that the body lacks the locus to do so.

Addressing reporters in Awka yesterday the leader of Anambra Integrity Forum who gave her name as Mrs. Nneka Nwokoye said that the former governor has been set up by his political opponents who are envious of his eight years of gargantuan achievements while in office.

What is happening today is more of share envy and petty jealousy by his political opponents who saw him as one that cannot deliver as governor and to their disappointment, he rounded up stronger.

Obiano didn’t owe salaries nor did he embezzle public funds. All his projects were executed without borrowing a kobo from any bank and these are the anger of these fifth columnists.

They never believed that the Airport project would be completed as well as the International Convention Center and other projects that he executed so they chose to rubbish him.

It is on record that Obiano is a prudent man and accounted for every penny that he spent while in office and the records are there to show.

We shall be at the Headquarters of the EFCC in our numbers sometime next week to seek the release of our brother and we have assembled a team of lawyers to file a matter at the Federal High Court Awka to question the powers of EFCC to arrest and detain him.

We are privy to the Supreme Court judgment last year November which ruled that the EFCC lacks the powers to prosecute a state governor because according to that judgment the anti-corruption body in the making of the federal government and the body can only prosecute financial matters that had to with the federal establishments and not the state.

The judgment before us also ruled that it is only the state House of Assembly that can perform that function or a petition from the current administration of Gov Charles Soludo and the police would carry out its duties as provided by the Constitution.

Even the EFCC is not represented in the Constitution of Nigeria, hence the actions of the agency are unconstitutional and of no effect.

Be it known to all and sundry that some people are playing politics with the sensibility of Anambra people and we in the state are not only known enough to understand this but also well informed about the machinations of these urchins whose stock in trade has always been to overheat the polity; she said.

Meanwhile over seventy President Generals of the communities in Anambra state are currently meeting over the arrest of Obiano and would soon come up with a resolution on the matter.

According to information gathered by PIFmedia, a source at the meeting who pleaded anonymity has this to say;

We have started meeting already. This is our second meeting and we are assembling signatories across the state to put up a resolution on the arrest of the former governor.

If not for anything the three Choose Your Project Scheme that he executed in all the communities in Anambra should also be a moral burden before these communities and again his administrative ability has impacted the development of our rural areas.

Very soon you members of the press would be informed adequately on our stand on this matter; he noted.