- Safiu Kehinde
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), has sought the removal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, as they condemned the anti-graft agency of incompetence.
This group called for Olukoyede’s sacking in a statement issued last week in reaction to the EFCC’s invasion of Kogi Lodge in Abuja where the state’s ex-governor, Yahaya Bello had stayed after voluntarily handing himself over to the agency.
The incident which occurred last week saw Yahaya Bello who was declared wanted by the EFCC over alleged money laundering surrendered himself as he walked into the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
EFCC, however, failed to detain him as he ushered back only for the operatives of the agency to invade the Governor’s lodge where he stayed.
While expressing their disappointment with the EFCC, CUPP condemned them over their action after failing to arrest Yahaya while he was at their office.
“It is quite intriguing that the same man you have been hunting for, walked into your headquarters in Abuja and you let him walk away without as much as interrogating him under the pretext of some extremely ridiculous and flimsy excuses, one of which was that he came with a sitting Governor and other.
“You later mobilized at night to go and effect the arrest of the same man. EFCC needs to come out and tell Nigerians what they are hiding and their real interest and intentions on this matter.” the group wrote.
They further accused the anti-graft agency of committing gross human rights abuse ever since the appointment of Olukoyede who they demanded to be sacked.”Everything looks suspect on this matter. Since Mr Olukoyede took over as EFCC chairman, it has been one controversy or the other. If it is not about EFCC operatives committing gross human rights abuses against Nigerians, it would be arrogant disrespect for due processes and Court orders.
“With this kind of leadership, the EFCC will remain handicapped to effectively fight corruption. It is in this regard that we sincerely feel that, if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is truly desirous of fighting corruption in the country, the current EFCC Chairman should be sacked immediately and a real professional senior security officer from any of the real security agencies be appointed as replacement to avoid this type of local and international embarrassments that this chairman has brought to the current administration and the country at large.” CUPP added.
They described the EFCC boss as a square peg in a round hole while calling for his replacement with a professional senior security officer from any of the security agencies.