Pro-democracy group chides EFCC over Bauchi AG’s arrest, calls for his release

By Samuel Luka,
Bauchi

A pro-democracy group known as Eyes on Democracy has condemned the recent arrest and detention of Bauchi state Accountant General, Sagir Jaja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The group while addressing a press conference through its Bauchi state chapter Chairman, Munir Aska at the NUJ Secretariat Bauchi on Monday, linked the arrest of the accountant general to political victimization of the state Governor, Bala Mohammed.

Aska pointed out that the governor has been voicing out the pains of Nigerians against the bad governance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government.

According to him, the arrest of the accountant general by the EFCC was disturbing and undemocratic, stressing that the action of the EFCC was meant to distract the administration of governor Bala Mohammed.

The group insisted that the recent detention of the accountant general while attending the FAAC meeting in Abuja is politically motivated and orchestrated by political adversaries to silence Governor Mohammed for being the strongest voice of Nigeria’s masses amidst the bad governance of the All Progressive Congress.

“We strongly condemn the arrest, which we view as nothing but a politically motivated witch-hunt designed to intimidate governor Bala Mohammed and his administration”, Aska said.

He said; “the desperate move is clearly an attempt to silence a courageous leader who has consistently spoken truth to power, refusing to be cowed by the forces that seek to suppress democracy and good governance”.

The group added that it is no coincidence that the arrests and intimidation of Bauchi State Government Officials are happening at a time when Governor Mohammed has remained vocal in challenging the excesses of the presidency and standing firm in defense of the interests of the Nigerian people.

“His bold stance has made him a target for persecution, and the EFCC is being weaponized as an instrument of political oppression rather than a true anti-corruption agency”, the group further alleged.

It expressed surprise over the arrest of the AG by the EFCC who they said was neither invited nor engaged in any way by Commission.

Eyes on democracy which attested that Governor Mohammed has been prudently managing the state resources and finances to the overall benefit of the Bauchi people, said as a result, the state is experiencing massive, unprecedented, and rapid developmental transformation in every aspect of human life.

Aska vowed that his group will not stand by and watch as the EFCC is manipulated to serve selfish political interests.

It called on well meaning Nigerians, civil society organization, and the international community to take note of what it described as undemocratic action and resist any attempt to turn the EFCC into a political tool for oppression.

They demanded that the EFCC operate within the bounds of the law, saying, “any attempt to twist the law to humiliate and intimidate Governor Bala Mohammed and Bauchi State government officials will be met with strong resistance from the good people of Bauchi State.

The Eyes on democracy called on the EFCC to release the Accountant general, and handle the matter according to law if there are genuine allegations.

“We stand firmly with Governor Bala Mohammed and all voices of truth and justice in Nigeria. No amount of intimidation will stop the march toward true democracy and Accountability”, they stated.