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The Lagos State House of Assembly has reiterated that the truth shall prevail very soon in the money laundering against its Speaker, Rt. Hon. Sabit Ikuforiji by the EFCC at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the Lagos Assembly following the re-arraignment of Rt. Hon. Ikuforiji and his aide, Mr Oyebode Atoyebi in court on Monday over 54 fresh charges, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Hon. Segun Olulade 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.
Olulade stressed that Ikuforiji has not in any way been involved in any mismanagement or embezzlement of the funds accruing to the House, adding that even 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.
He said the impeccable character, prudent financial management as well as the transparent leadership of Rt. Hon. Ikuforiji made the entire honourable members to pass a vote of confidence on him after re-electing him for the third term as the Speaker of the most vibrant legislative institution in the country even though this is novel in the history of the legislature in Nigeria.
Olulade maintained that the House is confident that Rt. Hon. Ikuforiji shall be vindicated at the end of the trial, saying that the trial in court against Mr Speaker 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 good people of Lagos State and all other supporters and well-wishers of Mr Speaker and the Lagos House of Assembly for their concern, support, understanding as well as their personal and collective interventions on the matter, Hon. Olulade urged members of the public not to relent in their efforts in the defence of the legislative institutions in Nigeria, adding that it is clear that Rt. Hon. 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 lawmaker 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 honourable members of the House would have cried loud for all to hear before EFCC could think of any apprehension, saying that it was those who are uncomfortable with the political fortunes and prospects of Rt. Hon. Ikuforiji that are behind the issue. He said the House is certain that the masquerades behind the matter shall be unveiled very soon.
Hon. Olulade said 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, adding that he wonders if the House is printing currencies.
However, Olulade urged the court to accelerate and dispense justice on the matter because justice delayed is justice denied. He stressed that the House is confident that Ikuforiji shall obtain justice in the court since the judiciary remains the hope of the common man and the arbiter of justice anywhere in the world.
Olulade reiterated that no amount of political trials and arraignment in court can deter the House from carrying out its constitutional duties even as he assures that Lagos State can never be destabilized on the platter of the inordinate ambitions and personal vendetta of some desperadoes around us.
SIGNED:
Hon. Segun Olulade
Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity
