Hours after the letter appointing Mr Jim Osayande Obazee, a former CEO of Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) as Special Investigator for Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and related matters, Nigerians took to social media to mock President Bola Tinubu, reports Political Economist NG.
The letter dated July 28, 2023 and personally signed by President Tinubu referred to Obazee as the extant CEO of FRCN, a man who was sacked in 2017 as CEO of the Council by the Muhammadu Buhari government.
Some Nigerians in mocking the Presidency for the error, likened Tinubu to Buhari who in 2017 appointed no fewer than five dead persons into key positions. The five deceased appointees of Buhari were Francis Okpozo, a senator in the Second Republic; Donald Ugbaja, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police; Ahmed Bunza, sole administrator of Jega local government area of Kebbi state, Christopher Utov, a former proprietor of Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko; and Kabir Umar, a former emir of Katagum in Bauchi state. Buhari would later add to the blunder when he appointed the late Tobias Chukwuemeka as Commissioner representing Ebonyi State into the Federal Character Commission Board.
Nigerians wondered how the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF} and the aides of the President could commit such blunder involving a man whose dismissal was controversial and widely reported in the media in 2017.
Tinubu via the letter announcing the appointment of Obazee, a man who had fraudulent charges against him, said it was “in accordance with the financial objective set forth in Section 15(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria1999 (as amended).
A memo dated July 28, 2023 and personally signed by President Tinubu announced the appointment in accordance with the financial objective set forth in Section 15(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria1999 (as amended).
The letter reads inter alia: “This administration is today continuing the fight against corruption by appointing you as a Special Investigator, to investigate the CBN and related entities. This appointment shall be with immediate effect and you are to report directly to my office.”
The letter directed that aside investigating CBN and Emefiele, the Investigator is “to immediately take steps to ensure the strengthening and probity of key government business entities (GBEs), further block leakages in CBN and related GBEs and provide a comprehensive report on public wealth currently in the hands of corrupt individuals and establishment (whether private or public).
“You are to investigate the CBN and related entities using a suitably experienced, competent and capable team and work with relevant security and anti-corruption agencies to deliver on this assignment,” the letter said.
The Investigator is to brief Tinubu weekly, the letter instructed.
