Controversies Surrounding President Tinubu’s CBN Special Investigator, Jim Obazee Emerges

Controversies surrounding the special investigator engaged by President Bola Tinubu last week have emerged.

Naija News recalls that the President engaged a former chief executive officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Mr. Jim Obazee, who President Tinubu appointed as the special investigator to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and related entities.

President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017, had fired Obazee, after he investigated the CBN under the tenure of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

His investigation reportedly uncovered  corruption in Nigeria’s apex bank then, and his recommendation led to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s suspension of Sanusi in February 2014.

However, in a twist of events, reports have emerged about controversies surrounding Obazee himself. This platform gathered that in 2016, he was allegedly convicted for sexually harassing his former Personal Assistant, Mrs Abimbola Patricia Yakubu.

According to SaharaReporters, Obazee was the executive secretary of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) in 2013 when Yakubu accused him of sexual harassment.

An allegation that led to her sack and reportedly forced her to institute legal action against the FRC for wrongful termination of her appointment and covering up sexual assault by its leadership.

Mrs. Yakubu, as learned later, won the lawsuit at the Kano Division of the National Industrial Court.

Justice Oyebiola Oyewunmi, who tried the case, did not only order the reinstatement of the Claimant but also awarded N5 million in her favour against Mr. Obazee. The court, in the judgment delivered on November 24, 2016, ordered the reinstatement of the Claimant with full payment of her salaries, including for the years she was away from work over the illegal termination.

The court found that Yakubu “suffered unquantifiable mental and psychological trauma, low self-worth and dignity” from Mr Obazee’s treatment.”

“I award the sum of ₦5,000,000.00 against the 2nd defendant for sexually harassing the claimant, discrimination against her, inhuman and executive recklessness of the 2nd defendant, thereby creating a hostile working environment for the claimant and for the violation of her human dignity and self-worth-respect,” the judged was quoted.

It was, however, not ascertained if he appealed against the judgment.

Obazee again reportedly got himself in Nigeria’s power play when he was also linked to the implementation of the controversial Corporate Governance Code 2016, which made the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, relinquish his position and announce Joseph Obayemi as his successor.

He made a case for the new law, to the extent that he reportedly told church leaders, who complained about what they saw as the government’s attempt to interfere in the “work of God,” that if they felt they should not be regulated, they should “take their churches to heaven.”

The new law directed leaders of churches and mosques to resign their positions after 20 years at the helm of affairs or after attaining 70 years of age.