…They will fail – PDP members
By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Recent moves by a non-governmental organization, the Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership, to revive the case between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara is receiving applause from members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
They are hoping that the NGO, which has dragged Sim Fubara, EFCC, state Attorney-General, Accountant-General and three others to the Federal High Court, Abuja, will succeed in its effort.
In a Friday chat with our correspondent in Port Harcourt, one of the APC members said the case had been over-delayed.
He said: “Thank God that a group has brought it up again in court. And it’s good they went to Abuja High Court, where they cannot influence the judges. Sim Fubara should go and clear his name at EFCC. The NGO wants the court to issue an order for his arrest and interrogation so that he can tell Nigerians how he and his oga withdrew such a huge amount of N100 and something billion. We have been waiting for this.”
Another member of the party, also speaking anonymously, said: “This is democracy at work. They raped this state dry, and they still want to continue to rule. Remember, there was a time EFFC came to arrest him, but he and his team resisted the arrest. Then, it was as if the EFCC had forgotten the matter and went to sleep. But now this group has come up with the matter again. I was happy when I heard it. It’s our money. N117 billion is not small money.
“How can they embezzle such an amount of money and go scot-free? See how the governor is squandering money everywhere – donating millions and billions to other states when people are suffering in this state. Let them go and face prosecution in Abuja.
“Now, EFCC won’t have any excuse again not to arrest Sim Fubara, who was the accountant-general at the time that money was withdrawn. He has to tell Rivers people how it happened.”
But some members of the PDP see the recent moves by the NGO to prosecute their governorship candidate as witch-hunting by the opposition APC. Speaking to our correspondent, a member of the party from Andoni, James Ukot, said the move would fail. He said:
“It’s nothing but the handiwork of APC. They are using that NGO to witch-hunt our governorship candidate, Sim Fubara. They have seen that his profile is rising daily while their own is decreasing.
“As I am talking to you now, Tonye Cole, their governorship candidate, has been disqualified. So they’re already seeing Sim in government house next year; that’s why they’re ready to do anything to stop him. But they will fail. They and their NGO have failed woefully because the whole world knows that it is a witch-hunt caused by jealousy. Are they EFCC? Why are trying to force EFCC to do their bidding to achieve their selfish interest?”
The Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership had filed a suit against Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers attorney-general and five others over an N117 billion pending case.
The group, in the case with suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/1399/2022, is seeking an order compelling the Rivers State Attorney General (1st defendant) to make public the document authorizing Mr Sim Fubara (3rd defendant) to physically access and withdraw one hundred and seventeen billion naira (N117,000,000,000.00) during the latter’s time as Accountant-General.
The group, in their prayers, is also seeking an order mandating the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to carry out their lawful duty into the pending investigation of suspicious criminal conspiracy, money laundering, and misappropriation of public funds against Mr Sim Fubara as the accountant-general during whose tenure the transaction was made.
The NGO posited that the Attorney-General’s refusal and failure to comply with the request made by the plaintiff on 21st January 2022 is an outright denial of the right to access information within their custody, which offends provisions of the Freedom Of Information Act.
The body, in their quest to excavate the truth, opined that the failure, neglect and refusal of the Attorney-General to make public the Government document authorizing the accused (Mr Sim Fubara), to access and withdraw such a huge amount of N117,000,000,00 is a direct breach of all known banking protocols.
