The immediate past Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and a former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has challenged online platform, Sahara Reporters, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to publish the names of the Directors and signatories of Sylvan McNamara Limited account linked to his sons, Gbolahan and Babajide.
Obanikoro, however, said the details of the transaction on the account of the company should be limited to when the controversial funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser was transferred to the company.
The company was said to have received about N4.8 billion from the controversial arms fund of $2.1 billion allegedly diverted to other purposes by former NSA, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki.
In a statement on Saturday, Obanikoro said he is appalled by the public and political persecution embarked upon by the EFCC, noting that there is nowhere in the world where investigations are being conducted using the pages of the newspapers.
In the statement signed on Saturday by his media aide, Jonathan Eze, Obanikoro queried the wisdom and logic of bandying figures and associating same with his sons who are thorough bred professionals in their own rights, reminding the EFCC that the court of law is and remains the judicial institution for trying cases and not whipping sentiments in order to give the dog a bad name and hang it.
The statement opined that Sahara Reporters is propagating these lies and propaganda because of the legal cases against it by the former Minister for misleading the public and defaming his hard earned name and reputation, having served the nation in various capacities with enviable untainted records of public service.
It urged the EFCC to be straight and above board in their investigations and avoid speculations and conjectures that are infringing on the fundamental human rights of his sons.
The statement reads in parts: “Associating my sons to the Sylvan McNamara account that allegedly received funds from the office of the embattled National security Adviser is highly preposterous and unthinkable.
“I am particularly amazed by the fact that trials and investigations are being done using the media unconventionally just to satisfy the cravings of political entities who are desperate to rub my hard earned reputation in the mud.
“Since the invincible Sahara Reporters whom I have legal cases against are at the forefront of misleading the public and defaming my person, perhaps rationalizing that I would withdraw pending suits against it, I am using this medium to challenge it and the EFCC to publish in good conscience the signatories and the names of the directors of the said company and to restate that I shall conclusively pursue this injustice and infringements to a logical end.”
