Lere Olayinka, the Special Assistant to Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State on Public Communications and New Media, has described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as the headquarters of corruption in Nigeria.
Olayinka said: “If there is anyone that should be urgently prosecuted, it is Ibrahim Magu who was indicted by the Department of State Services and still operating illegally as the EFCC Acting Chairman despite his rejection by the Senate.”
Olayinka, who reacted to a protest in Abuja on Friday against Fayose, said it was shameful that instead of labouring on how to better the lives of suffering Nigerians, the All Progressives Congress; the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and the EFCC were busy sponsoring a N1,500-per-protester protest against his boss.
Describing the so-called protest as petty, useless and an afterthought, he said: “It is obvious that Fayose’s emergence as Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum has unsettled the APC cabal because they fear that he is capable of using the platform against President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term ambition.
“Ridiculously, in their desperation and fear of the unknown, EFCC shamelessly turned itself to the mouthpiece of the protesters by issuing press statement on their behalf.
“Less than 50 paid protesters came to the EFCC and the next thing to be seen was a press statement signed by EFCC Head of Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, isn’t this ridiculous? Is EFCC spokesperson also the mouthpiece of the so-called protesters? May be EFCC operatives including Magu should have joined the protest so that Nigerians will know that it was EFCC that protested and the media will be able to use appropriate headline like; ‘EFCC stages protest against Fayose.’ Shame!
“If they are having headache because of Governor Fayose’s rising profile, especially his emergence as Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, their headache will soon turn to migraine that will be difficult to cure.”
Insisting that the EFCC must first remove the timber in its eyes before attempting to remove the toothpicks in other people’s eyes, Olayinka said: “Magu that was indicted of corruption by the DSS and other functionaries of the Buhari’s APC government must be prosecuted first.”
He reminded Governor Fayose’s detractors that he is a sitting and well rooted governor that cannot be prosecuted, saying: “Those whose only daily business is to run after Peter Ayodele Fayose should just keep their gun powder dry and wait till 2018.”
Olayinka advised APC leaders, especially Fayemi, to rise above pettiness and stop fighting a lost battle, adding: “It is funny that they still believe they can use the same strategy that they used in 2006 to wrestle power in 2017.”
