Seriake Dickson, vice-chairman of the senate committee on foreign affairs, says Ayodele Oke, ambassadorial nominee and former director-general of the
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 itdiscovered $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, 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.
