Nigerians in the diaspora under the aegis of Obidient Movement in the Diaspora has accused Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) of corruption and abuse of office.
Recall that, earlier in March this year, Sen. Akume’s protegee, Mr. Torhile, was arrested by operatives
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over N80b fraud allegations and subsequently
suspended from office for further investigations but nothing has since be heard about the situation.
In a petition to the embassies of the United Kingdom, Germany and France, which was signed by Comrade Gbenga Lanre, the group maintained that “democratic governments must know what is happening in Nigeria and act responsibly within the dictates of international law to forestall a breakdown of democratic principles.
“What is happening in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali must not be allowed to happen in Nigeria. Leaders with corrupt tendencies must therefore be contained immediately.
“In coordinating a grand scheme of money laundering through his aide and feigning to ignorance, Akume has become a threat to Nigeria’s democracy especially that this very act is incongruous with the anti-corruption posture of his principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Sadly, however, we have it on
good authority that the SGF, Sen. George Akume, has
criminally deployed the full weight of his office to impede thorough investigations into the fraud
coordinated in his office in an attempt to cover his involvement in the crime. This is a clear case of abuse of office and it’s appalling.
“This is also a breach of
public/civil service rules and statutory provisions.
Senator George Akume’s actions are ignominious and it is unconscionable that the SGF would blatantly
refuse to abide by the simple provisions of public service rules with such impunity. Akume took it a step
further.
“He intimidated operatives of the EFCC by virtue of his office which gave the impression that the
Presidency was not handling the fraud allegations with seriousness despite the weighty evidences
established against the SGF and his aide.
“An SGF with a personal agenda must be shown the way out. It is therefore our firm position that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) make the findings of that investigation open to Nigerians. We demand too that Akume be invited to answer for his involvement which cannot be denied under any pretext.
“Failure to answer and explain his involvement, we call on the UK, USA, France and Germany to immediately issue visa ban on the SGF to compel him to account for his involvement. Money laundering is an international crime and must not be swept under the carpet.
“Similarly, if the Tinubu administration is sincere about fighting corruption, this is a litmus test. A government cannot be talking about fighting corruption when its appointees are acting with impunity.
“As Obidients, we are aware of the close relationship Mr. President has with Senator Akume and we are keenly watching. If nothing is done to investigate the SGF, Nigerians and the international community will know that the Nigerian government only pays lip service to fighting corruption.
“The swift intervention at suspending the former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele,
former Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Mrs Beta Edu and most recently the entire management of the
Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) led by Alh. Mele Kyari, to allow full investigations
into fraud related cases, were bold statements and good precedents. Nigerians praised this zero tolerance
for corruption and it is our hoped that Senator George Akume’s fraud allegations will not be treated differently”, the release noted.
The group concluded by announcing to hold a “grand protest in Munich, Germany where the SGF has bought choice properties, probably from proceeds of corruption to draw the attention of the international community to the grand corruption going on under the Tinubu administration especially by his appointees”.
