Obiano Will Leave Nigeria After His Tenure, Politicians Sponsoring EFCC – Anambra Govt

In a statement to newsmen the Anambra commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C. Don Adinuba, accused disgruntled politicians of using the anti-graft agency to attack Obiano.

Adinuba stated that it has not been a secret that Governor Obiano has always revealed that he would leave Nigeria for his base in the United States at the expiration of his tenure.

Recall that reports had emerged that the anti-graft agency decided to place the governor under the watchful eyes of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) ahead of the expiration of his tenure.

In a letter to the Comptroller General of the service dated November 15, 2021, the EFCC says it decided to place Obiano on the watchlist in order to prevent him from travelling out of the country.

The anti-graft agency asked the Service to inform it anytime Obiano is travelling out of the country from any of the international airports, as well as other points of entry and exit.

Although the EFCC has not formally preferred any charge against Obiano since he is still enjoying immunity from prosecution as a sitting governor.

Reacting the Anambra government maintained that Obiano was ready to answer questions about his eight-year tenure in office.

Adinuba noted that the governor who is currently in the United States did not leave the country in disguise or sneak out.

Adinuba’s press statement read: “Nigerians were dismayed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) went a new low on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, when it sponsored media reports claiming that it has placed Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State on its watch list.

“The EFCC provided no details of how Governor Obiano has been placed on its watch list, but made a reference to a letter it purportedly wrote on November 15, 2021, to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) asking it to inform the anti-graft agency anytime the governor is travelling out of the country.

“Everything that can be wrong with politically motivated statements like this one is obviously wrong with this statement. The EFCC knows full well that it is acting inelegantly in this instance, and so has tried as much as possible not to make an official public statement on the alleged placing of Chief Obiano on the watch list. It furtively gave a section of the media the news report it wrote based on ostensibly its letter to the NIS on November 15.

“Governor Obiano is out of the country currently. And he travelled through one of the country’s international airports. He did not disguise himself, but rather left the country with his identity fully disclosed at the necessary immigration point.

“The EFCC sounded more inelegant when it claimed in the sponsored press report that it received intelligence reports that the governor plans to “flee” from Nigeria once he hands over power next March 17 to the newly elected Anambra State governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.

“Chief Obiano has never left any persons in doubt that he will relocate to his base in the United States once he finishes his tenure. As early as Wednesday, March 4, 2020, he announced his decision to a meeting of the Anambra State Council of Elders.”

Speaking further, the government said nobody in Nigeria can circumscribe Obiano’s constitutionally conferred immunity which shields him from both criminal and civil prosecution.

He said he is not aware of any state governor who had up to four months to be in office and the EFCC went on to sponsor media reports that he was being investigated.

According to him, Anti-corruption agencies, like intelligence services, conduct their investigations discreetly, and not on pages of newspapers.

“The whole nation knows those behind all the present histrionics about Obiano. They are those who didn’t want the November 6 election to hold. They are those in high places who unsuccessfully canvassed for emergency rule in Anambra supposedly on security grounds.

“They are those who masterminded the Birnin Kudu High Court charade in Jigawa State over the APGA leadership and, more importantly, the authentic APGA candidate in the November gubernatorial election in Anambra State. They are those responsible for the sacrilege of a customary court in Abuja issuing criminal summons to Professor Soludo, a former Central Bank of Nigeria governor.

“These people are still fighting the gubernatorial battle on behalf of their badly defeated friends and political associates in the Anambra vote. They will fail badly, as they have done in the recent past.

“The EFCC should not allow itself to be used by politicians who are mere birds of passage. Its ongoing Anambra drama is in bad taste. It did not serve Governor Obiano any notice. Nor did it invite him to answer questions about his service record. It just went to the press. Yet, the governor is willing to answer any questions about his years in office. After all, he has received a prestigious award from the United Nations Development Programme for social service integrity,” the release stated