14th January, 2019
Press Release
CACOL CONDEMNS UNDERCUT DEALINGS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF PETITION FROM EFCC
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has berated the alleged demand for a sum of N50mn (Fifty Million Naira) by two Human Rights Activists, Dandy Eze (President of the Path of Peace Initiatives) and one Solomon Johnson, to help facilitate the withdrawal of a petition written against Wahum Nigeria Limited and currently being investigated by the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) according to The PUNCH Newspapers report on page 4 of its Monday, January 14, 2019 edition.
In a Release issued by CACOL’s Coordinator of Media and Publications, Adegboyega Otunuga, on behalf of the organization’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he remarked, “It is a trite saying that, ‘He who comes to equity must come with clean hands’, and what this means is that, as a whistleblower, you cannot afford to blow hot and cold at the same time. The two accomplices in this matter were said to have written a petition to the Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, EFCC, sometime last year (2018) and in the process of the anti-graft agency’s investigation of the crux of petition, it was discovered that these same Activists had, in the course of petitioning, approached the management of same company under investigation, to solicit for ‘settlement’ to make them have a change of heart and request for a withdrawal. As an anti-graft organization, CACOL decries any untoward attitude that could undermine the fight against corruption, a social malaise we all agreed has done serious damage to the psyche of the nation and that is probably singularly responsible for most of our woes as a nation. It is in the light of this that we deem it fit to condemn such contradictory acts, especially from those we believe should know better as you cannot use corruption to fight corruption. It is also instructive to warn that efforts should be made by relevant authorities towards ensuring that possibilities of any set-up or blackmail are avoided so as not to bring into disrepute or disdain, the collective fight against corruption by both the government agencies and the Civil Society.”
The CACOL Boss concludes, “Without prejudice to the arraignment of these two (2) Activists, which we still presume to be innocent until otherwise, found guilty after necessary conclusion of investigation and trial, we use this occasion to call on Nigerians to demonstrate greater faith in their own responsibility to contribute to the fight against the social menace called corruption by not being on the look-out for pecuniary gains, where they have stumbled on matters of corruption as happened in this case. Aside the established percentage earmarked for whistleblowing in corruption matters, we strongly affirm that the collective surveillance and gatekeeping role against corruption is a social responsibility of all Nigerians as direct stakeholders and potential victims of the ravaging effects of corruption.
We therefore, reiterate our patriotic calls for Nigerians to endeavour to take full ownership of the fight against corruption, irrespective of whose ox is gored without serious thought to immediate gratification as this is the minimum obligation if corruption will be a thing of the past in our fatherland.”
Adegboyega Otunuga
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
cacolc@yahoo.com,cacol@thehumanitycentre.com
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