Buhari Urged to Fight Corruption within the Law

A socio-political group, Delta Ijaw Youth Assembly, has urged President M  uhammadu Buhari to fight the war against corruption within the law.

The group in a statement on Wednesday by its president, Mr. Ebimobowei Oguma, said while terminating corruption would be beneficial to Nigeria, it was necessary for government to ensure that the process for fighting the cankerworm conform with the dictates of the law.

The youth assembly, which was reacting to the arrest and alleged molestation of the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Authority and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), after the Federal High court, sitting in Lagos had granted him bail on Monday, said it was necessary for law enforcement agencies to obey the law and orders of court if the nation was not descend into anarchy.

Akpobolokemi had been rearrested moments after he was granted bail by Justice Buba Ibrahim on Monday.

He had been slammed a 52-count charge by the EFCC in two separate cases and was to perfect his bail papers when operatives of the anti-corruption agency whisked him away from the court premises.
The Ijaw youth assembly said this was akin to official self-help by the anti-corruption agency and asked President Buhari to call it to order.

“There is a zero survival chance for an elected government outside the ambits of the rule of law,” it said, adding, “the Rule of law and the rule of man are not substitutable.”

Alleging that associates of former President Goodluck Jonathan appeared to be the target of recent corruption prosecutions, the group warned against selective prosecution of the war against graft and asked Nigerians to stand against any attempt trample on their rights.

“No Nigerian deserves the tyranny of government,” it said as it urged President Buhari to rule with the fear of God and be committed to doing justice to all Nigerians irrespective of their ethnicity or religion.