I’m not on watch list since I have no corruption case with EFCC — Omisore

The former deputy governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has clarified issues emanating from the non-inclusion of his name in the travel ban and security watch list recently released by the Federal Government, saying, “I have no corruption charge against me.”

A group, the Yoruba Youth Socio-Cultural Association (YYSA), had faulted the Federal Government for excluding Omisore and former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, from the travel ban and security watch list, recently made public against 50 prominent Nigerians.

But Omisore, in his reaction against YYSA’s outburst, said his name was not included because of his “clean bill of health” on corruption charges, as he had no current corruption case with the EFCC.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Mr Jide Fakorede, on Tuesday, Omisore, a former governorship candidate in the last governorship election in Osun State, said as a result of no current corruption charge against him he should not be included in travel ban list.

According to Omisore, the YYSA is “a faceless group,” which he said were being used by some politicians who “are not happy” with the role he played during the rerun election in Osun State.

Fakorede addressing the YYSA as a “fictitious group,” said it “is a creation of those who were not happy with the recent political developments in Osun State and who, obviously, do not mean well for the state but only trying to mutilate the high integrity of Senator Omisore.”

Consequently, he said, “We have no doubt of the existence of some failed politicians who have scores to settle with the former Osun State deputy governor but are now feeling frustrated with his continuous rise in the political firmament of the country, despite all their pull him down effort.

“This set of persons represents retrogression, deliberate falsehood and underdevelopment. Again, they have failed,” the statement read.

It further states: “Let’s face the facts squarely, Senator Iyiola Omisore was wrongly accused in 2016 and he surrendered himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation and was given a ‘clean bill of health’ by the anti-graft body after a thorough investigation.

“It is on record that no case was instituted against him in any court of our land and neither was he arraigned before any court. He has been enjoying his freedom and has even presented himself for election into public office, passing through all security screenings. So, we ask, what is the noise about?

“The basis for placement on the watch list and travel ban is to ensure that those answering EFCC charges are held within the country; and for someone not having a current case with the anti-graft agency, there may be no basis to restrict his movement.”

“Senator Omisore is busy with the arduous task of building alliance across different political parties, with the aim of developing Osun State and using his contacts from his extensive network garnered over the years in the course of his private practice as a successful chartered engineer; and will not allow distractions from fake group like this to discourage him.”

Omisore contended that “Yoruba youths all over the world were known to be intelligent and industrious, and they would never subject themselves to being used by political jobbers and rejected politicians for any reason.

Hence, he said “genuine Yoruba youths” would never make “reckless statements” like the one issued by the YYSA.