THE Initiative for Integrity and Good Leadership (IGGL) says the chairman of Special Presidential Committee on for the Recovery of Public, Okoi Obono-Obla is only playing to the gallery with the submission of names of some Nigerians for travel ban over alleged corruption.
Obla said on Monday at a press conference that his panel has submitted the names of 39 alleged treasury looters to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) for the purpose of restricting their movement out of the country.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, National Coordinator of IGGL, Muhammad Aliyu said the Chairman of the panel was only carrying out an assignment he and his panel have no legal power to do.
According to him, Obla’s action is a direct affront on the ruling of a court that his panel lacks power to arrest or prosecute those being investigated.
He noted that his releasing the names of politically exposed persons amounts to media trial he has gone to the Appeal court.
Aliyu argued that rather than allow the court to give its judgment, Oblah has preempted the court by saying he knows he would get judgement in his favour because it is judiciary fighting back.
“What this implies is that if he doesn’t, he would easily ascribe it to same corruption fighting back,” he said.
Obla had maintained that the action was in accordance with the provisions of the Executive Order No 6 of 2018.
“The panel is investigating the Tumsah brothers, Tijani Tumsah (vice chairman, Presidential Initiative on North East) and Ibrahim Tumsah (director, Finance and Accounts, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing), for alleged abuse of office, corruption and possession of unaccounted suspicious wealth beyond their legitimate earnings.
“The panel has recovered an assortment of 86 brand new luxury and sophisticated cars from the duo; 23 of these vehicles are bulletproof without the requisite permits.
“Also recovered from them are several choice properties, located in highbrow areas of Abuja and a quarry in Kuje, the Federal Capital Territory.
“The panel has since obtained an interim order of forfeiture from an FCT High Court; in respect of these properties,” Obla said
But the leader of the CSO said the ruling of the Abuja Court of Appeal that voided the power of his panel still stands.
He reiterated that the court further held that the panel lacked the constitutional power to seize properties of alleged offenders.
“We hope that Mr. Obla remembers that the same court consequently set aside the forfeiture order of Tumsah brothers’ properties granted the panel by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
We wonder why he has resorted to media trial of these people and why he has not waited for a further ruling on the matter if he is not playing to the gallery to score political points and for vendetta too,” he said.
He called the Federal Government to call Obla to order as he continues to attract negative comments to the administration.
