We’ll Expose Those Behind Ikuforiji’s Travails

As the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, continues to slug it out with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over allegation of financial impropriety, the Lagos State House of Assembly has vowed to expose those behind the Speaker’s current travails.

The embattled Speaker, was on Monday, re-arraigned with his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi, on an amended 54-count charge and they were granted bail in the sum of N1 billion each with two sureties in the sum of N500, 000.

Ikuforiji’s loyalists have accused some unnamed politicians in the state of plotting his downfall in order to frustrate his future political moves.

The House, through its Chairman, Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Olusegun Olulade, reiterated that the truth would prevail very soon concerning the money laundering allegation against the Speaker.

The House said that the House will continue to take solace in the biblical injunction that, “the just shall live by faith and that the people shall know the truth and it shall set them free.”

It also stressed that Ikuforiji is not involved in the alleged mismanagement or embezzlement of the funds accruing to the House for which he is being prosecuted.

It noted that the EFCC in its preliminary investigation affirmed that the money collected by the Speaker were judiciously used for the various purposes for which they were meant.

It said the Speaker’s impeccable character, prudent financial management as well as his transparent leadership made him earn the confidence of the entire members of the House and resulted in his re-election as Speaker for the third term.

The House maintained that it is confident Ikuforiji would be vindicated at the end of the trial, saying that the trial in court against him is largely adjudged to be “a mere political trial and a sardonic ploy to malign his personality and image given his tremendous achievements in office and his rising political profile.”

While expressing gratitude to the people of the state and supporters of Ikuforiji and the State House of Assembly for their concern and support as well as their personal and collective interventions on the matter, the House urged that they remain steadfast in defence of the legislative institutions in Nigeria since “it is clear that Ikuforiji is just being persecuted because of his fearless and selfless promotion of the ideals of legislative autonomy, participatory democracy and the rule of law.”

The statement signed by Olulade added that if it was true that Ikuforiji embezzled House funds as initially alleged by the EFCC before the charge was later reduced to money laundering, the remaining 39 members of the House would have cried out.

“The House is certain that the masquerades behind the matter shall be unveiled very soon.”

The House alleged that while the EFCC left those who stole billions of tax payers’ money untried and unmaligned, it kept disturbing people like Ikuforiji who are busy contributing tirelessly to national growth and development through their various institutions and positions just for allegedly not passing through financial institution in the collection of money.

Reminding the EFCC that the House is not a money printing company and thus must have received all its monies from financial institutions, the statement urged the court to accelerate and dispense justice on the matter because justice delayed is justice denied, adding that the House is confident that Ikuforiji would obtain justice since the judiciary remains the hope of the common man and the arbiter of justice anywhere in the world.

The House stressed that no amount of political trials and arraignment in court can deter it from carrying out its constitutional duties or destabilise the state.

—Eromosele Ebhomele