The National
Conscience Party in keeping to its
mandate to be the conscience of the nation and stand in the gap for good
governance, human rights and fruitful political leadership has made public its
reservation and suspicion of the arrest of Senator Shehu Sani by the Economic
& Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The NCP in a
statement signed Comrade Omole Olusegun, Special Adviser to NCP National
Chairman Dr. Yunusa Tanko said they are aware of details of the invitation,
arrest and detention of Senator Shehu Sani by the graft agency for allegedly
obtaining a bribe under false pretence and with intention to exert influence on
the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, to stave off ongoing investigation of a friend
of the Senator.
The party
noted that Senator Sani is reported to have honoured the invitation extended to
him by EFCC a day earlier than slated, and is said to be cooperating with the
agency in ascertaining the basis of the allegations against him which he has
reportedly denied as contrived and untrue.
Dr Tanko
went on to say that the circumstances surrounding the invitation and allegation
of fraud against Senator Sani remains vague at best as it would be foolhardy to
undertake a public trial even before establishing a basis for his guilt.
Speaking Dr
Tanko further described as puzzling claims that the Senator sought to influence
the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, despite the fact that the two do not enjoy a
cordial relationship beyond common courtesy, with Senator Sani’s several past
barbed inferences indicting the EFCC and its boss of playing to the tunes of a
federal piper rather than the law, hardly makes him a friend of the agency.
NCP went on
to call on EFCC to act impartially and
by the law at all times so that a thorough and non-vindictive investigation
would be undertaken in the Senator Shehu Sani, and indeed in all matters before
the EFCC, with a view to serving the law and not servicing the ego or private
wars of political figures in government.
The party also
called on all well-meaning members of the public and the civil society space to
keep a watchful eye on the EFCC to dissuade it from further acting on whims and
impulses rather than by the law as some instances of their excesses would show
and for Senator Shehu Sani’s release to allow him defend himself instead of continued
detention.
