Barely a week after Kemi Adeosun quit as Finance Minister, the Chairman Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, claims he is not under pressure to resign.
Mr Obono-Obla said on Thursday in Lagos that the matter on his certificate, which has been under scrutiny, was in court.
Obono-Obla, a senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, is alleged to be in possession of an “invalid” Ordinary Level result, popularly known as WAEC, according to findings by the House of Representatives ad hoc Panel.
The panel had said in the course of its primary assignment, it discovered the presidential aide might have forged his way into the University of Jos where he studied and subsequently, the Nigerian Law School.
But Obono-Obla said that some people were after him for daring to investigate and expose assets hidden abroad by some powerful people in the National Assembly.
His spokesman, Emmanuel Nwachukwu, in a statement said: “The matter is in the Federal High Court, Abuja. It was filed since June 2018 and the House of Representatives Committee was duly served but they ignored the matter and went ahead to procure false witnesses to give evidence behind me.
“This is contrary to the Rules of the House of Representatives that say if a matter is in court it should be stayed pending its determination.
“Is the House of Representatives, a court of law? The answer is No! Is the House of Representatives, constitutionally empowered to investigate forgery or crime? The answer is No.
“Even though the matter is in court, the committee hastily and hurriedly turned the report to the media in July 2018. This was also done when the House was on recess without even waiting for it to be tabled before the House.
“’It is a hatchet job done to witch-hunt, harass, intimidate, ridicule and scandalise me because I dared to investigate and expose assets hidden abroad by some powerful people in the National Assembly.”
