Seriake Dickson, vice-chairman of the senate committee on
foreign affairs, says Ayodele Oke, ambassadorial nominee and former
director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), was a victim of the
“misguided vendetta” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against opposition
leaders.
On Wednesday, the committee cleared Oke, Kayode Are and
Aminu Dalhatu as ambassadorial nominees after an intense screening session at
the national assembly complex.
In a post on his Facebook page, Dickson, who represents
Bayelsa west, said senators on the committee had a duty to ask relevant
questions in the national interest.
The former governor of Bayelsa said he asked Oke to address
the controversies surrounding his exit from office as the DG of NIA.
In April 2017, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) said it discovered $43 million, £27,000 and N23 million in a flat in
Ikoyi, Lagos, after a tip-off from a whistleblower.
Following reports that the money belonged to the NIA under
Oke’s watch, TheCable later reported that the agency collected $289,202,382 in
cash from the account of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services
(NPIMS) at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in February 2015 after the general
election was postponed.
Dickson said Oke thanked him for the question and went on to
highlight his achievements and the circumstances that led to his removal.
He said Oke also submitted a court order confirming his
acquittal after the withdrawal of the case filed against him.
Dickson said the clarification reinforced his long-standing
view that the APC had politicised serious national issues such as corruption,
terrorism, and the economy.
He accused the ruling party of ethnicising the Boko Haram
crisis and adopting a harsher version of subsidy removal after opposing similar
reforms in the past.
He said the APC turned anti-corruption efforts into a
“one-sided crusade” aimed at criminalising opposition leaders.
“After listening to Mr Oke’s explanation, I have no doubt
that he was a victim of the APC’s misguided vendetta to criminalise the PDP and
its leadership, just as they did to Sambo Dasuki, former NSA,” the former
Bayelsa governor said.
“No one is against a well-structured and systematic,
apolitical fight against corruption, which is a major national issue, but it
must not target selected individuals or the opposition. It must be fought
across the board, as all are equal before the law.
“The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), as well
as other security and intelligence institutions, must be handled with greater
respect and discretion, even when issues of misconduct arise.
“These are strategic tools in the hands of the President and
the nation and must be jealously protected and guarded, irrespective of
political or other considerations, in order not to compromise the security
architecture of the country.”
Dickson noted that the withdrawal of the case against Oke by
the EFCC validated the nominee’s defence, adding that he voted to clear him for
the ambassadorial position.
The senator added that he also voted to approve Are and
Dalhatu, describing them as qualified and experienced Nigerians.
He congratulated the three nominees and urged them to do
their best in their postings.
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