By Favour Goodness
The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has reacted to an alleged plan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra state, shortly after he hands over to his successor come March 17, 2022.
The National Coordinator of APGA Media Warriors Forum, Chinedu Obigwe in a statement in Awka, described the development as a handiwork of the sore losers of the just concluded Nove. 6 governorship election in the state.
Report has it that EFCC in a letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service dated Nov. 15, 2021, requested the Service to place the governor on a watchlist and inform it anytime he is travelling out of the country from any of the international airports and other points of exit.
It is not clear why the anti-graft agency may have placed the governor on a watchlist.
But knowledgeable sources said the move may be an indication that the agency is discreetly investigating the governor and possibly has intelligence that he plans to travel after handing over power to his successor, Soludo.
The spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said he had not been briefed on the development. He promised to crosscheck with the relevant agency and then revert.
Reacting further in his statement, Obigwe, said “Governor Obiano has done nothing wrong that will warrant him being placed on EFCC watchlist, but some evil forces that are hell-bent on spoiling the ongoing celebration mood of ndi Anambra want to use EFCC to achieve their evil plan.
“They will definitely wear the garment of shame because Governor Obiano does not have any skeleton in his cupboard and he has nothing to fear about EFCC.
“It’s important for me to remind Bawa, the EFCC chairman, that Governor Obiano on the assumption of office for his second term invited Ibrahim Magu, the former EFCC chairman, to Anambra to lecture his appointees on how to run a corruption free government.
“If the governor has a skeleton in his cupboard, he will not take such a commendable bold step.
I condemn in its entirety the attempt to create the wrong impression that Obiano has plans to run out of the country after handing over to his successor.
“The governor does not have such a plan and he is ready to give an account of his eight years stewardship as Anambra governor.”