Fayose’s Bank Account: Don’t return Nigeria back to 1984/85 era, Activist tells Buhari

As reactions from well meaning Nigerians still trail the recent
blocking of the personal account of Ekiti State governor, Mr. Peter
Ayodele Fayose by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
, a renowned human rights activist and Executive Chairman, Centre for
Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi
Sualiman has warned the President and Commander-In-Chief, General
Muhammadu Buhari,rtd against returning the country back to the era of
his despotic Military rule of 1984 to 1985 where the government was
almighty.

Comrade Sulaiman who doubles as Chairman, Civil Societies Coalition
for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) also declared that the
anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes C omission(EFCC)
lacked power and right to freeze any sitting Governor’s Bank Account,
saying that Section 308 of the amended 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria has covered the sitting
President/Vice-President and Governor/ Deputy- Governor from
criminal offences, saying that the action of the anti-graft agency was
political witch-hunt of opponent of President Buhari.

Reacting to the development in a statement issued by the CHRSJ’s
Directorate of Media and Research, which was made available to newsmen
on Tuesday, maintained that the Supreme Court of Nigeria has cleared
air on the section 308 in the case of Gani Fawehinmi vs. IGP&Ors over
Bola Ahmed Tinubu Chicagogate forgery saga in (2002) 7 NWLR (pt 767)
pg 606 where it contended that the immunity did not cover any
Executive President/ Vice-President and Executive Governor /
Deputy-Governor from investigation but covering them from any
prosecution, stressing that EFCC has gone beyond their boundary on
this matter.

CHRSJ Chief who described the action of EFCC as illegal, anathema,
abomination, unconstitutional, undemocractic, evil, ungodly, satanic
and crime against God and humanity, requesting from the EFCC to tender
unreserved public apology to Governor Ayodele Fayose over the trauma
they(EFCC) made him to pass through in the last 48 hours.

He stressed that many governors, including Fayose were not saint as
all of them have soiled their hands with public funds in one way or
the other, noting that if EFCC has criminal offence against Fayose,
they should have worked on their intelligent gathering of information
and got all the documents relating to the matter which they would have
kept it till the end of his tenure and place such an account under
secret watch in order to get any accomplice who was not covered by
immunity.

According to Sulaiman: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) should be apolitical in their functions. In a civilized society
like ours, this development does not portray the anti-graft agency
well as a respecter of law of the land. The EFCC should not take order
from President Muhamadu Buhari in the cause of performing its
constitutional duties because President Buhari as a former Military
despotic leader, no democratic grammar in his lexicon. It is
understanding that EFCC Act in section 26 -34 gave EFCC power to
arrest a suspect and his Bank Account should be also frozen for any
financial crime but the 1999 Constitution as amended in section 308
covered Executives position from prosecution for criminal offence.
This is the reason why Late Legal luminary and Senior Advocate of
Nigeria (SAN), Chief Gani Fawehinmi was calling for the total over
hauling of the 1999 Constitution to checkmate the criminal activities
in high places of the country ”.

The rights activist then advised the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) to adhere strictly to the due process of law in
their actions and inactions and not the rule of might because Nigeria
was not in Banana nation where anybody or organization of government
could do as they like, calling for immediate de-freezing of Fayose’s
Zenith bank account in question by the anti-graft agency.

Signed
COMRADE ADENIYI, ALIMI SULAIMAN
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, CENTR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (CHRSJ