By Our Reporter
Group under the aegis of Credible Elections Project (CPR) has reacted to recent publication circulated in social media by a group under the umbrella of Citizen against Crime accusing Cross Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission ( INEC) Commissioner Barrister Mike Igini of corrupt practice. Equally an online social media, urhobotoday had also made an independent investigation and discovered that the allegations of made against Igini by the group was baseless and had no iota of truth.
Describing the accusation as false and an attempt to malign the good image already built by Igini, the group in a statement titled, “We Oppose Wild Attack s on the Soul and Conscience of INEC” signed by President of Credible Election Project , Dr. Deni. Adekunle sent to Urhobotoday via email described Citizen against Crime as an indivisible group loitering around on the Internet with the aim to blackmail, libel, defame and disparage the hard-earned sterling reputation of Igini who is well-known for his principled stance on credible elections and zero-tolerance for corrupt practices.
The statement stressed that instead of his critics filing a proper petition with anti-corruption agencies against Igini they had made it a primary agenda to attempt the impossible task of pulling him down based solely on wild allegations. It added that Igini has gone far ahead of his shadowy traducers to call on relevant anti-corruption agencies to look into this case wherein he is indeed the unjustly accused.
The group which claimed to have consistently awarded Igini its highest Triple A (AAA) rating since his inspiring appointment as INEC’s REC in 2010 by President Goodluck Jonathan, maintained that a dent on his image would dent their rating of him, arguing that it would require a very compelling case backed by irrefutable evidence for them and indeed reasonable persons to accept a contrary definition of the reputation of vibrant and upward mobile public servant of the person of Igini.
“Without prejudging the outcome of possible investigations, we make bold to say that Citizens Against Crimes has not shown any shred of reason or evidence in support of its sickening attacks against Igini. Rather, it relies only on conjectures, innuendos, bogus assumptions, fairy tales and outright blackmail tactics to accuse a good man.
“On the alleged ownership of gas company, Citizens Against Crimes claims Igini owns an ”Oil and Gas Company” managed by his “elder brother” at Apapa in Lagos. On the contrary, checks carried out at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) confirm that there is no company by the name ”Oil and Gas Company” or any other in the oil and gas industry wherein Igini has ownership interest. Because they are on a fairy tale mission, Igini’s traducers could not name the “elder brother” neither could they state the exact location or address of the so-called ”Oil and Gas Company”.
“We must however quickly add here that our above stated analysis is without any scintilla of prejudice to Igini’s unfettered right to engage in any legitimate business including in the oil and gas sector subject to the laws of the land and the dictates of his oath of office.
“ On the spurious allegation of that Igini had fleet of cars. We condemn this as just petty, as we are aware that the Hon. REC has bought only one (1) car since his assumption of office in INEC. Igini does not have ”M-Benz 320, Range Rover SUV nor given Landcruiser Jeep by INEC” as alleged by his begrudging blackmailers who are hiding under the faceless Citizens Against Crimes. Again, we reiterate our broad view that assuming he actually has the cars ascribed to his name in the realm of fantasy by Citizens Against Crimes while labeling him criminally just to bring him to public opprobrium, nothing would be wrong in so far as the ownership of such cars is not linked to corruption. In any case, Igini does not believe in primitive accumulation, particularly of the specie made possible by corruption from public coffers.
“On alleged ownership of assets worth billion of Naira, this fabrication is as wild and unbelievable as the very essence or mission of the faceless promoters of Citizens Against Crimes. Where are the properties or assets worth billions of naira located? Knowing Igini, we are able to declare that his blackmailers in Citizens Against Crimes should take possession of these assets wherever they may be and sell and make use of the proceeds to organize their group better in so far it would redirect their energies to genuinely help our Nation’s fight against corruption,” the statement read
In verification of the allegation of corruption laid against Igini by the group our reporter went extra lenght to investigate various accusation made against him and he discovered that there were no iota of truth in the accusation. Report from the field revealed that Igini is a straight forward man who had been fighting the course of the people, adding he would not in any way involve in corrupt practice.