Posted by By OLA AGBAJE on
Lagos lawyer and human rights crusader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) has dragged President Olusegun Obasanjo to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) over the Presidential Library Project.
Lagos lawyer and human rights crusader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) has dragged President Olusegun Obasanjo to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) over the Presidential Library Project.
According to a statement signed by Fawehinmi at the weekend, he is praying the commission to conduct investigation into the entire library project with a view of seizing funds donated towards the project by notable individuals and several corporate bodies and forfeit same to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
It would be recalled that several billions of naira were collected as donations on May 14, 2005 towards the actualisation of the project.
Among other reliefs, the petitioner is also asking the commission to revoke the operating license of the Bells University of Technology approved by Obasanjo for himself while the assets of the institution should be forfeited to the Federal Government in accordance with the relevant provision of ICPC.
In addition, Fawehinmi is demanding the seizure of Obasanjo Holdings Limited, which he claimed was a private business enterprise of Obasanjo which had suddenly come to opulence with the coming to power of the president.
Towards the realisation of these objectives, the petitioner said the ICPC should apply to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for him to appoint an independent counsel of not less than 15 years in practice to investigate the allegation raised in the petition.
Though he conceded that Obasanjo cannot be prosecuted until he leaves office should the report of the investigation indict him, Fawehinmi insisted that the report should be used to prosecute him immediately after leaving office in 2007.
The petitioner had premised his petition on the ground that the entire idea of the library project by the president and the monies received as gifts towards its execution while still in office was an abuse of office and contravene Section 8(1) of the ICPC Act Cap. C31 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He alleged that Obasanjo organised the May 14, 2005 fund raising for the library project to be affiliated to Bell University of Technology, a private business concern of the president.