Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has cleared former president Olusegun Obasanjo and 31 state governors of corruption charges. The officials were investigated and some indicted by the commission's former head, Nuhu Ribadu.
Several
anti-corruption organizations have condemned the EFCC's ruling -- asking
the body to do a more thorough investigation of all the affected
officials. They say most of the officials are now millionaires with extensive
business investments, even when they took office as men of modest means.
The EFCC says Obasanjo was cleared because no one came forward with allegations
of graft against him.
Sina Loremikan is the southwest coordinator of the group, Zero Corruption Coalition. He says there are dozens of pending petitions against the former Nigerian leader.
"It has
been a mixed feeling for me. I know
that one of my colleagues Debo Adeniran wrote a petition against president Obasanjo
and deposited at the EFCC before Ribadu relocated. I'm also wondering why the
present leadership says there was no petition before them and that the former
president has no case to answer. If they are being sincere, they should have
found the petition written by Debo Adeniran.
He says the former president is not in the good books of the majority of the people.
"For the supporters I can understand
where they are coming from, but those of us who are not his supporters likewise
not his fans we know he was a reckless president, we also know he was not a
transparent president, however the struggle continues, we will keep digging
out all we can dig out, put the
picture to everyone that matters and one day, we know that justice will come to
the people".