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The Action Congress (AC) has called for a judicial investigation of the charge of money laundering against President Olusegun Obasanjo's Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Matters, Mr. Andy Uba, in the United States.
The Action Congress (AC) has called for a judicial investigation of the charge of money laundering against President Olusegun Obasanjo's Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Matters, Mr. Andy Uba, in the United States.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by its media and publicity committee chairman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said that such criminal charge against a top Nigerian government official has dealt a big blow on the anti-corruption profile of the Obasanjo administration.
The AC said that the revelation by American Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Custom's Enforcement that Uba illegally smuggled 170,000 dollars into the U.S. with a Nigerian presidential jet on September 23, 2003 had done an incalculable damage to the image of President Obasanjo and Nigeria as a nation.
Stressing that the Federal Government could not afford to sweep this allegation under the carpet, the AC said that Nigerians deserved to know the details of the financial scam through an independent judicial enquiry.
It added that Nigerians would not accept any attempt by the presidency to parry the charges, like the strings of contract scams in the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) under the chairmanship of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) chieftain, Chief Olabode George.
"These revelations have wiped out, in one fell swoop, whatever good image the present administration claims to have brought to Nigeria since 1999, and revealed its much-vaunted anti-corruption war as a selective battle targeted only at the government's opponents," AC said.
"It has also shown that the president and his cronies have not imbibed the dictum, He who must come to equity must come with clean hands," the party said.
The party also called on the EFCC to put its much-acclaimed investigation prowess into gear by collaborating with the appropriate US authorities to unearth all the details of the alleged scam.
"We are surprised that the EFCC's powerful searchlight has not been beamed on this scam, and that the agency has not been contacted by its US counterpart to help investigate the case as was done during the PTDF investigation."
"If ever there was a chance for the anti-corruption agency to prove it is not a willing tool in the hands of President Obasanjo, that chance is here and now," it added.
AC said the questions that were begging for answers include: What is the source of the thousands of dollars taken by Uba on the presidential plane to the US? Why did Uba not report the fund to US customs, in accordance with the US laws? What is the meaning of the phrase "AL GULAM" stamped on the currency (1,600 new $100 notes) deposited by Uba's front in the US? What is Uba's annual income that he will buy a $91,262.50 (12.9 million naira) car?
"The answers to these and other questions will go a long way in revealing the true source of the funds involved in the Uba scam as proceeds of corruption, as well as details of the presidential cover provided for Mr. Uba to carry out his nefarious activities," the party concluded.
While commending the media for this good piece of investigative journalism, the AC said Nigerians would keenly follow the government's handling of the case and definitely not allow it to be swept under the carpet.
Meanwhile, AC had described as weak defence offered by the Presidency that the allegation was "lacking in substance" and that it was from a "tendentious source", as hasty, disingenuous and a great disservice to Nigeria.
"Suddenly, a case of money laundering involving a presidential aide, a presidential jet, a presidential farm and thousands of dollars that could be from the public treasury has been tagged a non-issue by the same people who will rush to indict an innocent man over a flimsy and cooked-up charge," the party said.
It also slammed EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu for trying to play down the allegation by saying "no agency of government was mentioned."
"It is amazing that Ribadu's famed agility has deserted him when his boss is faced with a serious allegation bordering on abuse of office. Well, in case he does not know, the presidential jet allegedly used in smuggling the money is a public property, while the source of the funds used in buying farm equipment for Temperance Farms will be of public interest," AC added.