Liberal Mind

EFCC: Words of US Ambassador, words of wisdom

 

Ka wi be, ka si se be ni iyi omoluwabi – Ayodele Fayose

‘Ti handshake ba ti ndebi igunpa, Ijakadi, oro Offa lo nbo’ –Drama between Fayose and EFCC

With Adetunji AAyobrown

All men must live, and we all live for different reasons, but why will some men reward their incompetence with blind loyalty? Or how else do we describe a situation where Yoruba will say, Gbe orin, mi gbe orin se wa debi sokoto baba re lowo’. The ugly drama between EFCC and the former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, even before the latter’s office expiration, is quite interesting but not funny at all. FG’s parastatal taunting a state governor, wrote this on its twitter handle @officialEFCC said “The parri (party) is over, the cloak of immunity torn apart, and the staff broken, Ekiti Integrated Poultry Project/Biologival Concepts Limited N1.3 billion fraud case file dusted off the shelves. See you soon”. An alleged and yet to be proven financial misappropriation…and the brouhaha that followed took million condemnations before the twit could be deleted. One will rather think it’s not possible in this modern human society and time, but this is just one of the Buhari and APC’s many blunders….If you ask me, I will say it is just because, it involves an opposition, the so-called devil as EFCC painted the picture. It is Fayose, the ‘elenu jatajata gomina’, as he is popularly called on the ‘Radio Kwara’ Yoruba programme, ‘Oro Ree’.

Fortunately and timely too, the United States’ Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington, paid a courtesy visit to the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu in his new multi-billion naira edifice head office, located in Jabi, Abuja…a commission that is tagged ‘case looser’. Many wondered what is the major topic of their discussion but I can tell you categorically that Fayose’s name is a must to be mentioned for the duo.  

Systematically, the US diplomat told Magu a simple truth, “it is important for every country to build the trust and confidence of its people on institutions like the EFCC”. As simple as ABC…well spelt out if you ask me. Fayose’s name was mentioned. Simplicita!

Now, social media went ‘haywire’ with headlines, “Fayose to Magu: I must not die in your cell as you have boasted”, another one “EFCC reacts to alleged audio of Magu saying “nothing will happen if Fayose dies in custody”, and yet another good example of a bad example, is “Fayose: Fake Magu tape in circulation”, a denial according to the EFCC.

And in a swift reaction, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren’s only reason for Nigerians not to believe the credibility is just because audio did not disclose ‘the place’ where the conversation occurred and ‘the person’ that Magu was supposedly talking to. Hmmm! Do you agree too?

The commission was last week running helter-skelter trying to discredit the purported audio circulating in the social media in which its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, purportedly made comments to the effect that nothing will happen if former governor Ayo Fayose, dies in custody.

And in any rumour like we all knew, there will be some elements of truths. EFCC media team had it hard, trying to disabuse the minds of the public. “Members of the public are advised to disregard this disingenuous creation as it is the handiwork of mischief makers intent on distracting the Commission from the serious work of wrapping up the investigation into the corruption allegations against the former governor of Ekiti State. “The audio recording is fake, as the comments did not emanate from the chairman of the EFCC. Purveyors of this fake news especially a former spokesperson of a leading political party are warned to desist”, Uwujaren threatened us all, even all the opposition and leading political parties like his quote.

The envoy gave reasons for his visit, stressing that Nigeria is strategic to the United States of America, USA. He also said it was important for every country to build the trust and confidence of its people on institutions like the EFCC. Symington was said to have admonished the agency not to despair… but what do you expect from toothless bulldog anticrime commission which preferred to make noise and threats rather than wining the fight against corruption.

Even last Tuesday, Rivers State Governor, Nyelson Wike said Fayose may be harmed in the anti-graft agency’s custody. This was made known when he accompanied Fayose who submitted himself at the Wuse offices of the EFCC. The River headsman said, “he is hale and hearty, and I believe that the EFCC should know he is well, I fear that the intelligence report we have is that he may be harmed. He added that, “we want to let Nigerians know, that he came himself to EFCC, without any body harassing him, that’s why I brought him here today.”

And true to its treat, it was learnt that the EFCC obtained a court order to keep Fayose in detention for two weeks with the possibility of renewing the order…ask me, have they not done any investigation and more than enough investigations, even before the twitter harassments?

When contacted to confirm the court order, the spokesman of the EFCC, Uwujaren said, “the anti-graft agency is working in line with what the law says.”…hmm, your guess is as good as mine, what did Nigeria laws say? I will leave that to the learned.

Many friends poured their minds through their keyboards, Charles Taylor twitted: Millions of Nigerians are behind Fayose because we already know, that he is facing persecution for being the voice of the voiceless. He will surely have the last laugh by the grace of God.

Biodun Adefila said it all “Useless set of people in the EFCC. What exactly are they detaining the former governor for? Are they saying they never conducted their investigation for the past four years?”

Judith Ogbonna Ajah said “Another branch of the APC is EFCC which seemed to be exhibiting dishonesty in all their operations. Shortly after the controversial declaration of the APC as the winner of the Ekiti State Election, the EFCC on their official Twitter handle wrote an intimidating letter on Fayose which they later on denied. This is just part of their normal game.

Greg Chinedu also aligned with the last line and said “Is it Mr Magu’s voice? Did he say something like that? Everybody knows that EFCC is branch of APC”.

Joe Joe twitted “what has EFCC done to Amaechi, Akpabio, Uduaghan, Obanikoro, Ganduje, Daura, Babachir and others? Magu will suffer at the appropriate time”. Rancotrim Rambaxy was also quoted as saying: “there’s no denial from Magu because even before Fayose came to the end of his term as Ekiti State governor upon his immunity like every other governor EFCC have planned to arrest him. Magu just bear in mind that what goes around also comes around time shall tell no matter how long it may take”.

Alex Liang said “very soon it will be like there was a country”, hmmm…what this means can best be imagine, but I will say our God forbids bad things.

With Mr Ambassador in his wisdom, said “United States is only committed to providing the needed support for the EFCC, towards eradicating all manners of corruption in our country”. And what Nigerians are asking, what do we call the arbitrary and unnecessary use of office to intimidate or harass innocent citizens? I guess, Magu and EFCC should be tutored on (in)appropriateness of abuse of office.

The International community, the Nigeria Senate, House of Representatives and concerned security agencies should probe and investigate this, if indeed Magu ‘hold no bare” on Fayose.

Don’t ask me, Fayose like others who had their case treated as such still have no trust nor belief in getting any free and fair hearing and treatment from the commission.  Some even said that, for him, Magu to have anything to do with such an unguided comment, resignation is not a bad idea for him to consider if we are truly democratic.

EFCC should not forget that every season that has ever come had ended, the Yoruba elders wrote that history will never be forgotten on whatever Magu and his boys do to their August visitor…posterity will surely judge. 

Indeed, as it is, enough damages had been done…let EFCC not seek to fix the blame for the past, the commission should accept its responsibilities as a guide against the yet unforeseen future. ‘Ila ki ga ju onire lo‘, EFCC is just a mere commission and not a government.

Ciao.

*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes via [email protected]

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