… wants Tinubu to set up unbiased investigating team to unravel causes leading to harassment of Gov. Ododo
By Ibrahim Obansa, Lokoja
Women on the platform of Kogi Women Group on Good Governance, have registered their displeasure and huge disappointment over the conduct of the EFCC on 18 September, 2024, when men of the Agency attacked the Kogi Government lodge in Abuja.
The women who disclosed this at a Press Conference in Lokoja on Saturday, said their disappointment is with respect to the attack on the official residence of the Executive Governor of Kogi State, which is the Kogi Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.
Addressing the press conference attended by hundreds of women from across the State, Hon. Tukura Grace, Convener of the Kogi Women Group on Good Governance and other speakers, called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to set up an unbiased investigating team to unravel the causes leading to the harassment of a the State Governor who was in company of the former Governor, Yahaya Bello.
“As mothers, we read with chills how the EFCC who had the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, brought to them by the current Governor, who was only fulfilling his civic duties as a citizen of Nigeria, allowed him to go and prefer a dramatized arrest to a person who turned himself in voluntarily”.
“We say Governor Ododo of Kogi State was fulfilling his civic duties because the EFCC declared the former Governor wanted and even requested every citizen, including Governor Ododo of Kogi State, who have information about him to report to the nearest security outfit”.
“In this case, the current Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, personally took the former Governor to them. EFCC failed to take him in and are giving very laughable excuses. We wonder what the scene of EFCC’s attack on the Governor’s Lodge would have turned to, if Governor Ododo was not a perfect gentleman to put his security men in check not to return fire”.
“We therefore say that the attack on the Kogi Governor’s Lodge is an attack on the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria and sadly, the act is perpetuated by an agency of the federal government which ought to have known better”.
“We therefore, call on our beloved President Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to investigate the unfortunate conduct of the EFCC, who instead of commending Governor Ododo for bringing a man on their wanted list to them, decided to attack the Governor, putting his life and those of other innocent people in the neighbourhood in danger”.
“We call on you, Mr. President sir, to cause the investigation through an independent unbiased agency or committee of government. We stress that, the attack on Governor Ododo was an attack on the entire people of Kogi State and the Nigerian Constitutional Democracy”.
“It was an attempted coup de tat.
As concerned mothers, we want to thank Governor Ododo for his maturity in preventing what would have resulted in the possible death of many innocent citizens for the unprofessional actions of the EFCC”.
Similarly, other speakers at the Press Conference said
“Gov. Ododo’s decision to go with the former Governor Yahaya Bello to the EFCC was
borne out of his patriotic zeal to ensure that law enforcement agencies are respected and supported to do their job, especially as the former Governor also expressed his readiness to honour the invitation of the Anti Graft Agency as a leader who has respect for constituted authority”.
“It is important to place on record that the former Governor in company of Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo visited the EFCC to honour the invitation by the EFCC. We are aware that the Former Governor spent well over four hours in the office of the EFCC, until he was asked to go with assurances that he will be invited again whenever he is needed for interrogation”.
“To our utmost concern as women and mothers, we are however taken aback that the Commission, having asked the former Governor in company of the serving Governor to take his leave, would however be made to face molestation by the anti corruption agency, with the Governor’s lodge, that is the Kogi liaison office located in Asokoro surrounded by the men of the EFCC, in a gestapo manner, shooting sporadically, possibly with the attempt to kill the former and present Governor.
“We therefore call for the intervention of Mr. President on the issues, with a call to ensure that the life and fundamental human rights of the former Governor is protected and respected”, the women said.