By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called for a total overhaul of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Act in a way that the Chairman and members of Board of Directors of the anti-graft agency will no longer be appointed by the President.
Rather, the PDP suggested that the judiciary or the Senate should be the one that will be appointing Chairman or Board members of the EFCC.
The Deputy National Youth Leader of the leading opposition party, Mr Timothy Osadolor made the call while speaking with Journalists at the Wadata House national headquarters of the PDP on Tuesday in Abuja.
Osadolor, who also called for the release of the immediate past Governor of Delta State and vice presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general election, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa from the detention of the EFCC, harped on the need for the removal of the agency from the exclusive control of the presidency.
According to the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, “our demands are that the EFCC should no longer see itself as an extension of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, or the Presidency. It should be a neutral independent body that investigates financial crimes.
“But i(EFCC) has taken it upon himself to be the chief financial hunter of opposition leaders in this country.
“We are calling for a total overhaul of the EFCC Act, so that no President, no matter how powerful he is, can appoint directors for the EFCC.
“Let the judiciary or the Senate be the one that will appoint Chairman or Board members of the EFCC. It should be removed from the exclusive control of the Presidency”, he said.
Osadolor who bemoaned the arrest of Dr Okowa and other key opposition figures, pointed out that all these are targeted at killing the opposition in the country.
His words, “All these are targeted at killing the opposition in this country. Democracy without viral opposition is close to monarchy.
“We know that President Tinubu has grown thick skin to public criticism and opinion but let him be guided and reminded that he was once on this side of the divide.
“What is important to us now is that we need a country and we must first of all respect the integrity of our country and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, he said.
Continuing, he said, “It is an open secret that this government has made it a hobby to pick on key leaders of opposition, especially those with capacity to give them a run and guide the people against the evil that this current government is unleashing on the people.
“Former governor Ifeanyi Okowa was a running mate to former President Atiku Abubakar in the last Presidential election and he was walking free until former President Atiku Abubakar shredded the economic policies of President Tinubu.
” It is surprising that a man who came to the EFCC office himself was detained and till now, he is still under detention.
“The man was not avoiding arrest, the man is a global figure and he is robed around humongous figures which is not true. Delta state government has not said that its money is missing. EFCC in Port Hacourt and EFCC in Abuja are playing both the role of a litigant and also that of the prosecution and going to the media with an investigation that was purportedly ongoing.
“The development is very dangerous and we must condemn it.
“Former Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi state has been declared wanted for over a year now, he comes to EFCC at his own convenience, he walks in and out and many EFCC officers did not even know that he was in their premises.
“Former Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, we all know the role he played in the Abacha gate, he is a principal officer in the government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and nobody has asked him any question till today.
“We have heard the security report on former Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State who is also a principal member of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government. He going about freely with policemen and other security agents paid with tax payers money and nobody has invited him for questioning.
“What is the difference with what has happened in the case of Gov. Ifeany Okowa if not mere politics?
” We want to put on record that PDP youths across Nigeria and especially stakeholders in the Southern part of Nigeria want to put President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his agency, the EFCC which is now a political arm of his government, on notice that nothing must happen to Ifeanyi Okowa and nothing must happen to the key leaders of the PDP.
“We saw what happened recently in Edo state when they invited the Accountant General of Edo state. All these are targeted at killing the opposition in this country. Democracy without viral opposition is close to monarchy”, he said’.
White advising that EFCC should be a neutral independent body that investigates financial crimes, Osadolor called for the immediate release of Dr Okowa from detention.
His words, “Gov. Okowa should be released, while media trials and embarrassment of opposition leaders must stop. We should also know that there is a pattern, from the arrest of Okowa, by next week he will go after Gov. Obaseki.
“This is a plan targeted at opposition leaders in this country. We are not saying that political office leaders should not be called to account but it should be devoid of political sentiments”, he said.
