Executive Order 06: Travel ban, a political witch-hunt orchestrated by weak, unpopular men who are afraid of election – Abba Moro

Immediate Past Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, has reacted to the statement by the APC-led federal government banning 50 high-profile Nigerians from traveling abroad.

Moro was said to be among those banned from traveling outside Nigeria till further notice.

The federal government had on Saturday banned 50 Nigerians from traveling abroad over alleged corruption cases.

Speaking on the development, Abba Moro through his media aide, Ameh Comrade Godwin, said his inclusion in the list was not in anyway connected to misappropriation of public funds or money laundering.

According to him, the order would not in any way affect his triumphant entry into the Red Chamber in 2019.

The statement reads below.

Our attention has been drawn to the statement by the APC-led federal government banning 50 high-profile Nigerians from traveling abroad, a list which has Comrade Abba Moro in it.

Having carefully reviewed the Executive Order 06, we want to make it emphatically clear that the inclusion of Comrade Abba Moro on the list is not in anyway connected to misappropriation of public funds or money laundering.

It is a known fact that Comrade Abba Moro is not on trial for stealing anything from government but the failed immigration recruitment, in which his role was clearly not related to the fee collected from applicants by the consultants.

We are of the firm belief that justice will be done in the case and there is nothing to worry about as Comrade Abba Moro didn’t violate any law or enrich himself from the failed recruitment exercise.

The general public must note that the Executive Order 06 is purely administrative and not a court conviction and as such does not affect his election and the goodwill he enjoys, particularly, among his people in Benue South.

Regrettably, the full implementation of the Executive Order 06 upon the emergence of Comrade Moro and several other candidates at this electioneering time, despite their cases being in court for over two years, raises serious issues of constitutionalism, legality and due process of law.

We make bold to say that Comrade Abba Moro’s riches are not in money or assets but in people, being a human development focused politician.

Before his emergence as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue South, Comrade Abba Moro had no case of money laundering or misappropriation of public funds from his days as a lecturer in the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, to his tenure as Local Government Chairman in Okpokwu, or as Federal Minister.

Relatively, Comrade Moro left office unstained as Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council of University of Agriculture, Umudike, and later University of Agriculture, Makurdi.

We, therefore, urge all teeming supporters of Comrade Abba Moro and the good people of Benue South not to be perturbed by his inclusion on the list of those banned from traveling abroad, the order has nothing to do with Benue South election.

In fact, Comrade Abba Moro only travelled abroad in the past for medicals and always on the order of court, after which his international passport is returned to the court, pending the determination of the case.

We call on our people back home not to panic over the new development as the Executive Order will not, in anyway, affect our chances in the 2019 general elections.

The general public, particularly electorate in Benue South should be informed that the ban does not in away affect his eligibility in the senatorial contest.

Affirmatively, our journey to a better tomorrow has begun and we won’t be distracted by any political witch-hunt orchestrated by weak and unpopular men who are afraid of electoral contest.