The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has urged the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo to resign and submit himself for trial over the alleged N5.8billion National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), scam.
The group further called for the reorganisation of NEMA following the indictment of Osinbanjo and the Director General of the Agency.
HURIWA also frowned at the ongoing squabble between the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and Osinbanjo over the indictment.
HURIWA wondered why extensively damaging criminal allegations are being turned into a political wrestling match instead of the relevant agencies of government at the centre and the National Assembly to activate mechanisms to reform the corrupt infected system.
The association noted that, “Nigeria does not have the luxury of time to engage in political gymnastics by the political actors given that there are several national emergency situations that have happened all over the nation with thousands of Nigerians becoming internally displaced with no effective remedial redress mechanisms both at the centre and the federating units.”
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA asked the Vice President and the Director General of NEMA to resign immediately or be suspended for three months or sent on compulsory leave pending the holistic determination of the subsisting allegations.
The association said, “They should subject themselves to transparent and open investigative activities by a combined team of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission (ICPC); Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC); and the Code of Conduct Tribunal so as to ensure hitch-free probe of the extensively damaging allegations.”
HURIWA said, “EFCC alone cannot guarantee a transparent given the affinity that exists between the acting Chairman of EFCC and the Vice President.”
HURIWA further applauded the All Progressives Congress, APC, dominated Federal House of Representatives for not capitulating to partisan pressure and undermine the investigation.
HURIWA, however, affirmed that the enabling Act setting up the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, needed to be reworked fundamentally to insulate the office from the institutionalized political interferences of the presidency given that the Vice President is listed as the Chairman of the governing body of the agency.
Besides, HURIWA has tasked the National Assembly to take up the national assignment of reforming the enabling Act that set up NEMA so as to provide for the appointment of a technocrat with no political affiliations to head the National Emergency Management Agency because of the strategic national functions that such a sensitive institution is created to perform.
