The immediate past Minister of State, Foreign Affairs and a former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has challenged controversial online platform, Sahara Reporters and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to sincerely publish the names of the Directors and signatories to the alleged Silva McNamara Limited account to the public as at when the said money was paid instead of demonising and deceiving Nigerians with vague, contrived and distorted information.
Obanikoro is appalled by the public political persecution embarked upon by these agencies noting that there is nowhere in the world where investigations are being conducted using the pages of the newspapers.
In a statement signed on Saturday by one of his Media Aide, Mr. Jonathan Eze, it queried the wisdom and logic of bandying figures and associating same with his sons who are thorough bred professionals in their own rights reminding them that the court of law is and remains the judicial institution for trying cases and not whipping sentiments in order to give the dog a bad name and hang it.
The statement opined that Sahara Reporters is propagating these lies and propaganda because of the legal cases against it by the former Minister for misleading the public and defaming his hard earned name and reputation having served the nation in various capacities with enviable untainted records of public service.
It urged the EFCC to be straight and above board in their investigations and avoid speculations and conjectures that are infringing on the fundamental human rights of his sons.
The statement reads in parts:” Associating my sons to the Sylva McNamara account that allegedly received funds from the office of the embattled National security Adviser is highly preposterous and unthinkable.
“I am particularly amazed by the fact that trials and investigations are being done using the media unconventionally just to satisfy the cravings of political entities who are desperate to rub my hard earned reputation in the mud.
” Since the invicinble Sahara Reporters whom I have legal cases against are at the forefront of misleading the public and defaming my person, perhaps rationalizing that I would withdraw pending suits against it, I am using this medium to challenge it and the EFCC to publish in good conscience the signatories and the names of the directors of the said company and to restate that I shall conclusively pursue this injustice and infringements to a logical end., “