Frontline human rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has condemned PREMIUM TIMES’ report against the Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2019 elections, Mr. Peter Obi.

The group in a statement issued on Monday by its Principal Officers: Emeka Umeagbalalsi, Obianuju Igboeli Esq., Chidimma Udegbunam, Esq, described the controversial report as “a commendable watery investigative finding”. It said that though the investigation was commendable, it ended up finding “nothing that is immorally shocking and gravely corruptive against Obi.”

Intersociety also described the report as politically motivated and ill-conceived.

It said that the media group “went out of professionalism to import, concoct and mischievously indict-thereby raising strong suspicion as per the genuineness and independence of the investigation and its likelihood of political sponsorship over 2023 Presidential Election.”

“We had expected the Premium Times to have stated at its introduction that its investigation is across board and that the likes of Bola Tinubu, Nasiru el-Rufai and Babatunde Fashola, etc are the next, so as to disabuse the minds of those that may hold strongly that they are holding sinister briefs for the trio over 2023 Poll,” Intersociety said.

It explained that a person is morally and globally said to be “corrupt” when he or she is duly investigated by the State and judicially found to have breached “mala inse against corruption”.

“In other words,” according to the group, “same goes if he or she goes to another country with such gravity of corruptive baggage. An example is a Nigerian political figure, exposed locally and internationally for stashing away stolen public funds in the United States.

“Corruption generally is founded on grave immorality and character disrepute, such as public office stealing or looting of public or corporate treasury or laundering of stolen public funds and investment of same in overseas investments of the launderer. In global law guiding corruption, it is divided into: “mala inse against corruption” or corruption law with universal application and enforcement beyond international jurisprudential boundaries (bordering on rottenness of character and incurable public office thievery) and “mala prohibita against corruption” or jurisprudentially and territorially restricted law on corruption such as law on asset declaration in territorial Nigeria.”

Intersociety said that the wordings in the report are utterly unprofessional, vindictive and procurable as it provides no proof of corruption by Obi but merely alleges failure to declare his foreign assets.

It said it could not be locate where the PREMIUM TIMES’ report disclosed where and how billions of naira worth of stolen Anambra public funds were looted by Obi and channeled into his overseas investments.

The statement read further: “We are fully aware that Nigerian political, economic, media and human rights or civil society spaces have been infiltrated and substantially taken over by crooks that have brutally lowered morality, integrity and nobility and replaced and elevated them with crookedness and rapacious immorality. This is to the extent that crooks and looters have become saints. On the other hands, social saints and change agents have now been made villains, public enemies and Hell Gate keepers. The social systems in the present day Nigeria have been so corrupted and bastardized that it is risky and dangerous joining forces in the Rights Civil Society as “Aluta Comrades”; when not less than 320 CSOs are found to be linked to the State with over 90% of them formed or incorporated since mid 2015.

“Finally, in 2009, Intersociety was the only group that dragged Peter Obi to EFCC and IGP over erroneously alleged N250m money laundering and the petitions subsisted until he was cleared by the two anti graft agencies and our private investigation. In January 2013, we again rose as the only group and forensically investigated Ezeu River corpses dumping, perpetrated by Anambra Police SARS. Obi was condemned in our report for not heeding to call to set up a judicial commission of enquiry. Therefore, for standing out as a remarkable achiever in public office and prudent manager of public funds, Obi must be supported to stand tall and shoulder high at all times. We are also aware that Obi as one of the few highly respected former public office holders in Southern Nigeria has been harassed by the State and invited for several questionings for more than 24 times by its coercive agencies since mid 2015 and at the end of each of them, nothing was found. The Premium Times report on Peter Obi is therefore not only dead on arrival but also appears politically motivated and ill-conceived.”

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