In this edition of the “Mic On Podcast,” Seun Okinbaloye sat down with Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, former Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP) under former President Muhammadu Buhari. Obono-Obla discussed the corruption cases he investigated and the circumstances leading to his suspension, which he described as a “witch hunt,” dismissing allegations of forging his school certificate as baseless and emphasizing that the case was thrown out twice in court.
Obono-Obla vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that claims of siphoning money were false. He highlighted his transparency by declaring his assets at the start and end of his tenure, noting, “Everything I declared in my assets is what I had when I practiced law in Calabar from 1992 to 2008 and then Abuja.” He attributed his downfall to his refusal to let the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, supervise his work, stating, “My offense was that I refused and said I am to report only to the president under this law.”
He expressed frustration over the lack of government support and recounted his meeting with former President Buhari, where he named individuals obstructing his work. Feeling betrayed, he said, “I was disappointed in the way the government turned against me for nothing.” He also shared personal anecdotes about threats to his life and psychological trauma, alleging that Malami tried to undermine his efforts.
Reflecting on his tenure, Obono-Obla advised the current administration to protect anti-corruption agencies from political interference and emphasized the need for ideological consistency within the APC. Despite the challenges, he remained cautiously optimistic about President Tinubu’s administration, stating, “I still believe that this government is on the right track.” Maybe by the third year, if we don’t see some flashes of economic prosperity or recovery, then we can begin to doubt the government. It is too early to evaluate.”
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