A Port Harcourt-based lawyer, Azubuike Ihemeje, has petitioned a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and social media influencer, Reno Omokri, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), over alleged criminal representation.
Ihemeje in the petitions sent to office of the two anti-corruption bodies in Port Harcourt, weekend, claimed that Omokiri received salaries above his employment status and thereby, obtained salaries by pretence.
BASIC FACTS
- Reno Omokri has been dragged before the ICPC and EFCC for criminal representation and obtaining by false pretence
- This is following developments about Mr Omokri`s consistent claim to be a former Senior Special Assistant to president Goodluck Jonathan.
- Appointment letter posted on social media by Reno Omokri himself has given rise to discrepancies between his claim and the content of the letter, and as such criminally earning beyond his worth, the petitioner has alleged.
WHAT WE KNOW
Reno Omokri a former aide of former President Jonathan has been dragged before the EFCC and ICPC in Port Harcourt by a Port Harcourt based lawyer Azubuike Ihemeje.
Ihemeje filed the petitions following discrepancies in Reno Omokri’s appointment letter and pay slip, which he (Reno Omokiri) posted on his social media handles.
A Port Harcourt-based social media influencer and media consultant, Oraye St. Franklyn, had claimed that Omokri was not a direct aide to President Jonathan, rather a personal staff of late Oronto Douglas, who was an aide to President Jonathan.
Franklyn took a step forward by challenging Omokri to publish his letter of appointment if President Jonathan truly appointed him and, to that effect, adding that the unwholesome grandstanding and misrepresentation by Omokri need to stop as they amount to fraud.
Typical of Reno Omokri, he took the challenge, and posted a redacted appointment letter entitled “Appointment as Special Assistant to the President” with a Federal Government employee payment slip that designated his position as Senior Special Assistant to the President.
Noticing irregularities, Ihemeje, in the petitions, said that Omokri, by his admission, was obtaining and receiving salaries from the coffers of the FG as Senior Special Assistant, whereas in contrast from his disclosed letter of appointment bears Special Assistant, thereby, showing a clear case of obtaining excess salaries by false pretence.
NOTABLE QUOTES
Azubuike Ihemeje in his petitions to the anti-graft agencies against Reno now reported on the media, has stated:
“We write as public interest solicitors and as true patriotic citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a deep sense of responsibility to promote justice through adherence to regulations, rule of laws of Nigeria, and to protect and promote public interests, integrity, the safety of citizens of Nigeria and other members of the public.
“It is in light of the above that we very respectfully forward this public interest petition and request your urgent and immediate intervention on the subject under reference as follows: “That sometime between August 2011 to May 2015, the suspect mentioned above, who operates on various social media platforms with the name; Reno Omokri, by his claims and admissions, worked for the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Special Assistant to the President.
“That sometimes, on September 15, 2022, the suspect voluntarily published his Letter of Appointment and his payment slip as proof of a duly appointed worker in the Federal Government of Nigeria then.
“To our chagrin and a huge disappointment, we observed some fundamental discrepancies between the suspect’s appointment status and the salary designation at our chagrin, and huge disappointment we observed some fundamental discrepancies between the suspect’s appointment status and the salary designation with which he serially obtained.
“That the suspect, by his admission, was obtaining and receiving salaries from the coffers of the Federal Government as senior Special Assistant, whereas, his only disclosed letter of appointment bears, Special Assistant, thereby, showing a clear case of obtaining excess salaries by false pretence.
“That unless the suspect furnishes proof of his subsequent elevation to the status of Senior Special Assistant, we firmly believe that there exist some clear prima facie proofs of a criminal case of misrepresentation, taking and receiving salaries in excess and above employment status, and obtaining money by falsehoods against the suspect.
“He, however, requested organisations to deploy its very best forensic investigative team to thoroughly investigate the case to ascertain the criminal breaches thereof and also to ensure that the suspect and any other person(s) involved in the apparent criminality are brought to book.”
CATCH UP
Reno Omokri is a social media “influencer” who came to limelight during his stint as former President Jonathan social media aide.
He has been on the news consistently due to his social media presence and activism. He is known to regularly wed into stormy issues and a well known critic of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Reno Omokri has recently incurred the wrath of many Nigerians in the social media due to his stance against the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
COMMENTARY
Even a casual user of social media who shows even a faint interest in Nigeria would have come across Reno Omokri who pride himself as a “table shaker”, as he usually weds into stormy issues.
Reno Omokri more often than not, throws caution to the wind in his bid to prove whatever point that catches his fancy. What Reno fails to come to terms with, is that he who lives in a glass house does not throw stones.
Yes, Reno carelessly throws stone, even in such a manner that a child dare not do. To be sure, his social media activism, if it is worth that name has done more damage than good to the government he served.
Now that he has finally landed at the doorstep of the anti-graft agencies, we hope the agencies will do a dispassionate job.
We also hope Reno Omokri won’t be quick to link this to an attempt to distract him from his new job of marketing the PDP presidential candidate, a job he has not made much success of at all.
Mr Omokiri has rather spend most of his time either attacking Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi, or massaging his ego and attracting unwarranted attention that have led to more criticism for him and his PDP presidential candidate.
How Reno has conducted himself on the social media post 2015, should be an eye opener to public office holders on the kind of persons they employ to man their image.
An image maker need not work hard to court controversy for the sake of it. An image maker need not be consumed in an egoistic pursuit. Nor should he be unduly loquacious, knowing that he may do more harm than good both to himself and those whose image he seeks to clean.
