By Our Reporter
The foremost Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark has asked anti-graft agencies to investigate the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Elder Godsday Orubebe of the allegations of corruption and abuse of office on the grounds that neither himself nor the presidency was prepared to shield Orubebe.The Anti-Corruption Network had earlier, in a complaint dated November 19, 2012 and signed by its Executive Secretary, Dino Melaye, accused Orubebe of accepting as gratification a palatial mansion on the property allocated to him in Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), contrary to Section 12 of the Act.
The petitioners pointed out that a search report from the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) clearly shows that the land upon which the edifice was erected rightly belongs to the Minister, the petition said. They said they would not hesitate to go to court to compel the ICPC in the prosecution of this menace and abuse of office in order to preserve the sanctity of laws and build a better nation.The government of President Goodluck Jonathan normally ignores public and press corruption reports concerning its senior officials. Meanwhile, Orubebe had denied the ownership of the mansion.
Addressing newsmen over the weekend, the former Information Minister said “Nobody is above the law and as such, the law should be allowed to take its course.“Orubabe should be investigated by EFCC. It is not true that the Presidency or Chief Edwin Clark is protecting him from being investigated by the anti-graft agency,” he added.
According to Clark, President Jonathan and his government are out to fight corruption with all political will, pointing out for Jonathan to allow the prosecution of the sons of the former and present Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was a clear manifestation of his quest to eradicate corruption from the society.
Clark who was early this month conferred with a honourary fellowship of the Auchi Polytechnic called on the federal government to make education compulsory in the country, calling also on government to invest more in the educational sector of the country.