FPIC: No legal or factual basis to demand Gbajabiamila’s resignation — Jiti Ogunye

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By Efe Onodjae

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Legal practitioner, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, has argued that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, should not resign over allegations linked to the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting that such a move would undermine rather than advance justice.

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Speaking on Journalists’ Hangout on TVC while commenting on allegations made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew against the Chief of Staff, Ogunye said there was no legal or factual basis to demand Gbajabiamila’s resignation since he had neither been indicted nor charged with any offence.

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According to him, resignation should only come into consideration if it could be shown that the Chief of Staff’s continued stay in office would obstruct investigations or compromise their integrity.

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“Why should he resign?” Ogunye asked. “His resignation will be more injurious to the pursuit of justice than his continued occupancy of office, in my view.”

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He argued that asking Gbajabiamila to vacate office at this stage would reinforce public assumptions that the allegations against him were true, despite the constitutional presumption of innocence.

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Ogunye maintained that the Chief of Staff is entitled to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, warning against what he described as the growing tendency to convict public officials in the court of public opinion before investigations are concluded.

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He further noted that there had been no indictment, prosecution or recommendation for disciplinary action against Gbajabiamila that could justify calls for his resignation or suspension from office.

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Addressing the allegations made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, Ogunye alleged that the claimant forged documents, including a purported appointment letter, a government gazette and an Act of Parliament, to create the impression that he had been appointed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.

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According to him, investigations revealed that the purported agency was fictitious and that Adeyemi’s alleged scheme was designed to establish a false presence within the federal bureaucracy that could later be used to deceive individuals, financial institutions and prospective investors.

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Ogunye also dismissed claims that the Chief of Staff benefited from the alleged scheme, stating that Gbajabiamila had consistently maintained that he neither knew nor had any dealings with Adeyemi.

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He added that a public disclaimer issued by the Office of the Chief of Staff followed reports that Adeyemi continued to parade himself as head of the purported agency despite police intervention.

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The legal practitioner stressed that allegations, no matter how serious, must be subjected to proper investigation and due process, insisting that public officials should not be compelled to resign solely on the basis of unproven accusations.

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