Obla Undermines Anti-corruption War, Group Alleges

Activities of the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari
on Anti-corruption and chairman of Presidential Investigation Panel
on Recovery of Public Property, Obono Obla, undermines the war
against graft, a coalition of civil society has warned.

The Movement for the Protection of Peoples Rights, an affiliate
of the Coalition of Pro-democracy and Human Rights Group, in a
statement expressed concern over an alleged anti-democratic
practices of the presidential adviser.

According to the statement, Obla’s mode of operation undermines
the operational existence of both the Code of Conduct Bureau which
is a creation of the constitution, EFCC and ICPC created by an act
of the National Assembly.

The statement which was jointly signed by Johnson Victory for
Transparency Movement, Yahaya Makam, for the Protection of Peoples
Rights and Wale Adegoke, Movement for Free Speech, noted that the
presidential aide failed to differentiate between the powers of
Presidential Adviser on Prosecution in the Office of the Attorney
General, Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property as he
interfered in the operations of other statutory agencies.

“His activities are clearly at variance with anti- corruption
policy direction of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against
Corruption. Before and after his initial appointment as Special
Adviser on Prosecutorial Matters, Obla had proven himself as
someone with unquenchable appetite for grandstanding, obstinacy,
belligerence, controversy, garrulousity, arrogance and
bellicosity,” the statement reads in part.

The group observed that the Attorney General of the Federation
and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN), had stated that
Obla’s actions ran contrary to the enabling act that established
the panel.

“Our concern is that the same Obla was directed by the
Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar
Malami SAN, to “hence forth desist from carrying out any operation
in his capacity as head of the said panel. The AGF clearly stated
that the actions of Obla ran contrary to the enabling act that
established the panel.”

The statement reads further ; “The most disturbing development
is that not only does Obla still parades himself and act as the
Chairman of the panel, he has equally embarked on desperate
measures to reinvent himself after he got his fingers burnt on the
reinstatement of Maina and insults and venoms he dished out against
judges.

“We have it on impeccable authority that the perception about
him is that he tried to apply the strategy of naked interference
with processes in the prosecution of cases being investigated by
the statutory anti-corruption agencies but was resisted by them and
the Presidential Advisory Committee led by Prof Itse Sagay in the
struggle to assert independence and professionalism in handing of
all the cases either being investigated or prosecuted.

“His unwarranted penchant for subterranean schemes is becoming
over kill to the extent that cases already diligently investigated
and concluded due to inability to establish prima facie are now
selectively being resurrected in order to establish a guilty
verdict at all cost on some of the accused persons.

“We have found it germane to draw public attention to the
emerging trends under the agenda of political opponents using the
Obla’s panel to settle scores with an eye on the2019 elections.

“If not an agenda of witch hunting of political undertone and
sinister motive, why the double standard of resurrecting some cases
and at the same time burying others? .
It is shameful, scandalous, unethical and abuse of power for Obla
to allow himself to be perceived as the one covering up one
grievous misdeed by protecting some people, while on the other hand
intimidating anti-corruption agencies in the discharge of their
duties by the same Obla that insulted Judges, used unprintable
language and derogatory words against them in relation to their
official conduct.”

Activities of the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari
on Anti-corruption and chairman of Presidential Investigation Panel
on Recovery of Public Property, Obono Obla, undermines the war
against graft, a coalition of civil society has warned.

The Movement for the Protection of Peoples Rights, an affiliate
of the Coalition of Pro-democracy and Human Rights Group, in a
statement expressed concern over an alleged anti-democratic
practices of the presidential adviser.

According to the statement, Obla’s mode of operation undermines
the operational existence of both the Code of Conduct Bureau which
is a creation of the constitution, EFCC and ICPC created by an act
of the National Assembly.

The statement which was jointly signed by Johnson Victory for
Transparency Movement, Yahaya Makam, for the Protection of Peoples
Rights and Wale Adegoke, Movement for Free Speech, noted that the
presidential aide failed to differentiate between the powers of
Presidential Adviser on Prosecution in the Office of the Attorney
General, Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property as he
interfered in the operations of other statutory agencies.

“His activities are clearly at variance with anti- corruption
policy direction of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against
Corruption. Before and after his initial appointment as Special
Adviser on Prosecutorial Matters, Obla had proven himself as
someone with unquenchable appetite for grandstanding, obstinacy,
belligerence, controversy, garrulousity, arrogance and
bellicosity,” the statement reads in part.

The group observed that the Attorney General of the Federation
and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN), had stated that
Obla’s actions ran contrary to the enabling act that established
the panel.

“Our concern is that the same Obla was directed by the
Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar
Malami SAN, to “hence forth desist from carrying out any operation
in his capacity as head of the said panel. The AGF clearly stated
that the actions of Obla ran contrary to the enabling act that
established the panel.”

The statement reads further ; “The most disturbing development
is that not only does Obla still parades himself and act as the
Chairman of the panel, he has equally embarked on desperate
measures to reinvent himself after he got his fingers burnt on the
reinstatement of Maina and insults and venoms he dished out against
judges.

“We have it on impeccable authority that the perception about
him is that he tried to apply the strategy of naked interference
with processes in the prosecution of cases being investigated by
the statutory anti-corruption agencies but was resisted by them and
the Presidential Advisory Committee led by Prof Itse Sagay in the
struggle to assert independence and professionalism in handing of
all the cases either being investigated or prosecuted.

“His unwarranted penchant for subterranean schemes is becoming
over kill to the extent that cases already diligently investigated
and concluded due to inability to establish prima facie are now
selectively being resurrected in order to establish a guilty
verdict at all cost on some of the accused persons.

“We have found it germane to draw public attention to the
emerging trends under the agenda of political opponents using the
Obla’s panel to settle scores with an eye on the2019 elections.

“If not an agenda of witch hunting of political undertone and
sinister motive, why the double standard of resurrecting some cases
and at the same time burying others? .
It is shameful, scandalous, unethical and abuse of power for Obla
to allow himself to be perceived as the one covering up one
grievous misdeed by protecting some people, while on the other hand
intimidating anti-corruption agencies in the discharge of their
duties by the same Obla that insulted Judges, used unprintable
language and derogatory words against them in relation to their
official conduct.”