Former Imo State governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, said that he had reported the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to President Muhammadu Buhari, over the N2.4billion embezzlement allegation levelled against him by the agency.
According to Leadership Newspaper, Okorocha said he told the president to call the commission to order and to also obey the laws of the land.
And ahead of the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okorocha urged Buhari to ensure that the four legacy units of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are carried along by the party’s leadership.
He disclosed this to State House correspondents yesterday after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa.
According to him, without these pillars, there wouldn’t have been anything called the APC today and the victory that followed after.
Okorocha also said he informed the president of his decision to contest the 2023 presidency.
He said, “I used the opportunity to discuss issues relating to our party, especially how the party was formed.
“President Muhammadu Buhari, then former head of state-led the CPC into the merger of what became today APC, followed by Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu who led the ACN, and myself, Rochas Okorocha who led the APGA and other leaders of ANPP.
“This is the four legs upon which the party today called APC is standing. I used the opportunity to remind Mr. President, of how it all started, and for us to keep the history of this party alive.
“I also made him understand that in the coming convention, these four pillars should be carried along in all our decisions. For without these pillars, there wouldn’t have been anything called the APC today. And the victory that followed after.”
The former Imo State governor also sought the intervention of President Buhari in the N2.4 billion fraud charges levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Okorocha also wants the EFCC to release his international passport.
According to him, it is the responsibility of Buhari as president of Nigeria to ensure that justice is served on all citizens including this matter.
“I also used this opportunity to intimate Mr. President of what is going on between me and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the harassment and intimidation that I’m getting from the EFCC, literally on a daily basis.
“And to inform him that I have a court judgement and two court orders for different judgements, which stops the EFCC from harassing and intimidating me. EFCC has refused to obey the law.
“And so, I have to inform Mr President that EFCC should be made to obey the law that established it. And without the law, there wouldn’t be an EFCC. And the desperation with which they go about any affair that concerns me should stop.
“And I reminded Mr. President that some time ago, the EFCC had claimed that they recovered the sum of N5.9 billion from my account, which the court found out to be untrue.
“In other words, they were biased and they prejudged me. On that basis, the court ruled and ordered that they should not further interrogate and harass me. This has also not been obeyed.
“The court ordered the EFCC to release my international passport, the EFCC has refused to obey. The court gives damages to me for some N500million for EFCC to pay.
“EFCC has not paid that. Rather than doing that, on the day of my declaration, EFCC went on the press to announce that I’m being prosecuted for some criminal charges of N2.9bn, and no more that N5.9bn.”
He said despite the efforts by the Office of the Attorney General to make the EFCC see reasons and obey court judgement, to release his travel documents, and stop the harassment, they have refused, adding that there was some kind of desperation on the part of EFCC.
“And I don’t know who might be causing this, but it is appropriate that I do let them know of the injustice that is going on with me as regards the EFCC,” he said.
He also accused the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma of being behind security breaches in his state, saying during his tenure as governor for eight years, he was able to manage the security situation effectively.
“Whatever security breaches you are seeing in Imo State, whether IPOB or general crimes, should be blamed on the incumbent government because it is a failure of leadership,” he stated.