Civil Society Groups Want EFCC To Probe Lagos Speaker, Say ‘Obasagate’ Must Be Thoroughly Investigated

Human rights and anti- corruption groups on Tuesday stormed the Lagos State office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, to submit a petition calling for credible and thorough investigation of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa over alleged corrupt practices.

Apart from submitting a petition, the groups held a peaceful protest at the premises of the anti-graft agency in line with the social distancing order of the Federal and State Governments, vowing to ensure that the matter was fought to the logical conclusion.

The protesters, who were drawn from the members of the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) and Civil Society Network Against Corruption(CISNAC) led by CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman and CISNAC’s Programme Officer, Comrade Sina Odugbemi, stated that the allegation was genuine and founded.

The protesters were armed with the placards with different inscriptions such as; “Obasagate: We demand EFCC investigation”, “Lagos must breathe”, “Lagos Assembly must be free”, “Lagos Assembly is a public institution” and others.

They urged the EFCC to conduct credible and thorough investigation into all the allegations of fraud levelled against Mr. Obasa, saying that the allegations were weighty, adding that the case should not to be allow ed to be swept under the carpet.

Speaking after the submission of the petition, Comrade Sulaiman, who came to the rally along with his Niqhobian (Eleha) wife alleged that Mr. Obasa has been working round the clock to ensure that the weighty allegations of corruption levelled against him were swept under the carpet by reaching out to some anonymous groups for cover up.

The rights activist assured the good people of Lagos State nay Nigeria that they would not allow the matter to die without due and proper investigation by the anti-graft body, alleging that some acclaimed human and civil rights organizations have been bribed to support the corrupt practices of the Speaker. He added that their groups were battle ready to work with President Muhammadu Buhari to stamp-out corruption out of the land as being thought under the tutelage of late social crusader and human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN.

Also speaking, Comrade Odugbemi, maintained that the purpose of submitting the petition was to ensure that due process was followed in the investigation of the matter by getting to the root of it. He dismissed the State Assembly Panel which had earlier exonerated Obasa from all the allegations of corruption levelled against him. He insisted that the panel could not be the judge in the case that affected its speaker, hence the position of the panel could not stand the test of time in the face of war against corruption in Nigeria.

He strongly condemned the way and manner the Assembly Panel dismissed the matter which made the world to know that something was fishy about the subject matter.

According to the petition dated 16 March, 2020 with the titled “Demand for urgent investigation and probe of Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly and others”, signed by Comrade Olanrewaju Suraju, the Chairman, CISNAC and also forwarded copy to President Muhammadu Buhari for notification and necessary action on the subject matter and copies were made available to newsmen after the protest.