Lawyers, rights activists, and others have condemned the Kogi State House of Assembly for calling for the removal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, labelling the allegations against him as baseless.
In a resolution passed on Monday during plenary in Lokoja, the lawmakers criticized Olukoyede’s handling of the case against former governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello, describing it as unprofessional.
They also condemned what they termed an “unprovoked attack” by EFCC operatives on the Kogi State Government Lodge, viewing it as an assault on Governor Ahmed Ododo and the people of Kogi.
The legislators accused the EFCC of attempting to assassinate both the former and current governors, asserting that the persecution of the former governor had persisted for too long and needed to end.
However, this stance has sparked widespread criticism, with many accusing the lawmakers of betraying their constituents and the interests of Kogi State.
Rights activists, legal practitioners, and social commentators have voiced their disapproval of the assembly’s position.
In his reaction, a lawyer, Maduka Onwukeme, chided the lawmakers for their stance.
He urged the lawmakers to focus on legislative issues that would have an impact on the good people of Kogi State rather than pursuing frivolous distractions.
He said: “Well legally, the value of this resolution is less than the value of the paper it is written on. We operate a federal system of government with a clear separation of powers of the organs of government but also different levels of government.
The EFCC is an agency created by the National Assembly and hence their activities cannot be questioned by the Kogi State House of Assembly. Their resolutions are not binding on the EFCC or any agency not created by a law of the Kogi State House of Assembly.
The lawmakers should concentrate their attention on legislative matters that affect the people of Kogi State and not this wild goose chase.”
Another lawyer and rights activist, Chijioke Ifenkwe, described the whole situation as theatrical. “The Kogi State House of Assembly ordinarily should be interested in the recovery of state funds, but apparently they are more interested in protecting their former governor,” he said.
A social critique, Chief Gani Kayode Balogun, popularly called GKB, described the whole scenario as a sad development. He criticized the legislators for calling for the removal of the EFCC boss and noted that the state House of Assembly lacked constitutional power to make such calls.
GKB also faulted the former Kogi governor, Bello, for turning his invitation by EFCC into a theatrical event.
According to him, Yaya Bello was not the first governor to be invited by the anti-graft agency for questioning and he will not be the last.
He cautioned the former governor to stop making a mockery of the system and face reality by honouring the invitation extended to him.
