COTER petitions Tinubu to prevail on Gbajabiamila not intervene in Obazee’s Special Investigation

By Tunde Opalana

A coalition of 259 anti-corruption, civil society and human rights groups, Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms (COTER), has called on President Bola Tinubu to warn his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to steer clear of activities of the Presidential Special Investigation Panel headed by Mr. Jim Obazee.

According to COTER, a cabal in the Aso Rock Villa intensifies witch hunt of Obazee and has decided to starve the Special Investigator’s team of operational funds contrary to President Tinubu’s directives.

The body alleged that the new cabal at Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, attempted to corner the $30billion looted funds and the 66 landed choice property traced by the Special Investigator to Tunde Sabiu, a former Personal Assistant to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was was also alleged that “the Presidency cabal has intensified its fight against the complete government take-over of the four erring banks seized by the Central Bank of Nigeria early this month by allegedly arranging for their cronies to surreptitiously buy over the affected banks.”

The coalition charged President Tinubu not to allow anyone, no matter how highly placed, to rubbish the credibility already secured for his administration in the international community through the invaluable works of the Special Investigator, Jim Obazee.

COTER also urged President Tinubu to warn Gbajabiamila to steer clear of what the Special Investigator has been doing successfully since his appointment, which involves handling the very delicate and dangerous national assignment of investigating and recovery all the funds looted by powerful individuals from the CBN and other Government agencies.

COTER’s President, Dr Peter Chima Chukwu and General Secretary, Mallam Auta Ibrahim Koko, stated these Monday in a statement in reaction to Gbajabiamila’s alleged intervention in the functions of the Special Investigator.

According to them, “Obazee has successfully been laundering the image of this country and the President Bola Tinubu-led administration internationally through his bold and courageous work as CBN Special Investigator. So, Gbajabiamila cannot now come and attempt to usurp that office or the Special Investigator’s role after Obazee has taken all the risks to achieve so much in recovering funds from the Federal Government’s coffers and the vaults of the CBN.

“Gbajabiamila should face his own job, which he’s yet to excell and discharge effectively, and stop being a meddlesome interloper. The job Mr President gave him, he has not done well in the first place. Who gave Gbajabiamila the mandate to recover looted funds? Certainly, President Tinubu didn’t do that.

“We believe this Government should not allow itself to be forced or coerced by some unpatriotic and corrupt elements in government to thread the ignoble path of the previous administration. At least, there should be some decency in government this time round under President Tinubu. Gbajabiamila should be stopped from meddling in the work of the Special Investigator.

“But if he refuses to be called to order, COTER shall not hesitate to mobilise all the civil society groups in Nigeria against him.”

“We commend the Federal Government for fishing Obazee out for the job and we urge the President to adequately appreciate him with a special National honour/award.

“The Special Investigator should also be considered for higher national assignments because we have the confidence in him, that he’ll always deliver. Nigeria should not make the mistake of allowing other countries, international agencies and organisations who are watching events in Nigeria now with keen interest to snatch Obazee away from us. Nigeria seriously needs Obazee at this moment of our journey as a nation.”