The Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, says some powerful lawmakers are hell bent on ending his career in government because he has exposed how corrupt they are.

He has also denied reports that he is under pressure to resign, saying the “purported report is false, baseless and wicked”.

The case against Obono-Obla

Obono-Obla, a senior special assistant who serves at the pleasure of President Muhammadu Buhari, is alleged to be in possession of an “invalid” Ordinary Level result, according to findings by a House of Representatives ad hoc panel.

The House panel had tendered that in the course of its primary assignment, it discovered that Obono-Obla may well have forged his way into the University of Jos.

Obono-Obla studied at the University of Jos and subsequently proceeded to the Nigerian Law School.

In his defense however, Obono-Obla says some persons are after him for daring to investigate and expose assets hidden abroad by some powerful people in the National Assembly.

'The matter is in court'

According to Obono-Obla, he is not under any pressure to resign as the issue is currently in court. “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 says 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".

President Buhari who won a first term in office partly on the back of a promise to crack down on endemic corruption in Nigeria, has often been accused of going soft on members of his own political party, APC, and members of his government.

The presidency rejects the claims however, insisting that there are no sacred cows in its war against corruption .