“Former House of Representatives Member Denies Plotting Protest, Calls for EFCC Probe into NCDMB Investments”
Israel Sunny-Goli, a former member of the House of Representatives, has refuted allegations suggesting his involvement in planning a protest aimed at pressuring the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate investments made by the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) under Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote.
The allegations arose from claims made by a group called the Niger Delta Justice Forum (NDJF), which alleged a scheme orchestrated by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Oil, Heineken Lokpobiri, to stage protests in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, with Sunny-Goli purportedly enlisted to rent a crowd to protest against Wabote and former Minister of State (Petroleum), Chief Timipre Sylva.
In response, Sunny-Goli, who represented the Nembe/Brass Federal constituency in the 9th National Assembly, issued a statement dismissing the allegations as baseless. He accused the NDJF of spreading falsehoods aimed at diverting public attention from a petition he submitted to the EFCC regarding alleged misappropriation of public funds by the Wabote-led NCDMB.
Sunny-Goli clarified that his decision to submit the petition to the EFCC stemmed from his personal conviction that public funds should be accounted for. He emphasized his direct involvement in submitting the petition to the EFCC in Abuja, underscoring his commitment to taking ownership of his actions.
The former lawmaker reiterated the claims made in his petition, specifically concerning the alleged misappropriation of funds related to investments in projects such as the Atlantic Refinery and the Brass Fertilizer & Petrochemical Company Ltd. He maintained that despite significant sums purportedly invested in these projects, tangible progress or completion has not been achieved.
Challenging the NDJF to refute the claims outlined in his petition and provide evidence of progress or completion of the projects under scrutiny, Sunny-Goli emphasized his unwavering stance on accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.