Northern Forum Cautions Tinubu over Obazee’s Report

•Says he might be walking on minefield

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) has cautioned President Bola Tinubu over the use of the report before him submitted by Jim Obazee, the special investigator, hired to investigate the activities of the country’s apex bank under suspended Governor Godwin Emefiele.

The forum said the president must tread with caution because he may be walking on a minefield.

A statement signed by the Chairman of the group, Aliyu Muhammad, said Obazee was not qualified to lead any special investigation.

“This is so because Jim Obazee himself is not qualified to lead any special investigation, most especially one that has to do with finance given his antecedents.

“The man hired by President Tinubu is at the heart of corruption scandals while he was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC),” it alleged.

The group further alleged that Obazee was “awarding procurement contracts to proxies, acquiring luxury properties both at home and abroad that his salary could never justify.”

It stressed that Obazee’s professionalism, patriotism and loyalty were questionable, stating that his priorities were his financial gains or personal scores he set out to settle.

“Jim Obazee should be investigated and not the other way round,” it stated.

The group noted that, “unless the president is interested in his expertise of personal witch hunt and controversies that are capable of inciting chaos, Jim Obazee has no business investigating the CBN or any other financial institution for that matter.

“Mr. President should adopt the action of firing Jim Obazee by his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Yes, CBN should be probed and investigated, but not by an individual with questionable character, integrity and a tone of corruption cases, graft and misuse of public funds himself. 

“Therefore, President Bola Tinubu must not use this report that as basis for it is as compromised as the author of the report. It is one sided, partial and some of its recommendations are fatal to the economic wellbeing of Nigeria.”