The group claims that in his final report, Special Investigator on the Central Bank of Nigeria and Related Entities Jim Obazee disclosed that Buhari's adviser, Sabiu Tunde "Yusuf," approved the redesign of the naira instead of the previous president.
HURIWA called for Tunde Sabiu's involvement in the issue to be investigated and arrested right away.Remember that Obazee, a former Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, was nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the CBN special investigator in a letter dated July 28, 2023.
The story claims that Sabiu and Godwin Emefiele collaborated on the naira redesign. Sabiu is the nephew of the previous president, HURIWA clarified.
In a related event, HURIWA voiced grave concerns about the activities of Senator Hadi Sirika, the former minister of aviation, with regard to the Nigeria Air project. HURIWA claimed that Sirika had conned the public by passing off a hired aircraft that had been quickly repainted as the national carrier.
HURIWA drew attention to prior financial irregularities connected to Sirika, such as the contentious $600,000 logo design expenditure and the dubious acquisition of fire trucks at extravagant costs.
"Sirika is charged with planning the May 26, 2023, unveiling of a hired aircraft that was hastily repainted and still had Ethiopian registration marks as the official carrier. The public views the chutzpah of this obvious last-minute swindle as a challenge to hold people accountable.
"Among the major scandals connected to Sirika is the Nigeria Air incident. Rumors surfaced in 2017 that he paid a Bahraini business $600,000 to design a logo for the project, which was formerly known as Air Nigeria, before it was shelved. Sirika did not reveal the precise amount spent, although she did dispute the given sum. The Federal Government then allotted up to N800 million for the project's resuscitation between 2017 and 2018.
Additionally, Sirika came under fire for spending N12 billion, or an astounding N1.2 billion, on 10 fire engines. All of these problems add to the public's mounting dissatisfaction with Sirika's behavior and the calls for accountability. To address these claims, the group demanded that Hadi Sirika be taken into custody and that a full inquiry be conducted into him.
In addition, HURIWA held Sadiya Umar Farouq, the former Minister of Social Development, Humanitarian Affairs, and Disaster Management, accountable for how money designated for social investment programs—specifically school feeding—was spent. The Association called for her immediate arrest and an investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) citing a long list of claims, including corruption, abuse of office, and mishandling of social investment funds during her term.
"Despite the ministry's supervision of mega-budget agencies and intervention programs, Nigeria's humanitarian catastrophe grew worse. Sadiya Farouq did not perform up to par, and it is necessary to look into her tenure at the ministry. HURIWA said, "Without questioning, probing, and investigating what happened under that ministry, the new administration cannot do anything satisfactory."
Therefore, the group demanded that Farouq answer questions about suspected widespread corruption committed during her term to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
HURIWA highlighted the need of upholding the constitutional right to a fair and impartial trial while expressing concern about the judicial processes against the troubled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele. The group demanded that the media trial against Emefiele, which it described as being staged, end right away.
HURIWA called on the relevant law enforcement organizations to look into these claims as soon as possible and objectively, especially the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The group emphasized how crucial it is to protect the rule of law and make sure that those found guilty bear the full weight of their conduct.
Emmanuel Onwubiko, comrade. Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) National Coordinator