The petition was instituted after Omokri had recently shared his salary slip on his social media page.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is investigating former aide to Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Reno Omokri.
This comes after a lawyer, Azubuike Ihemeje petitioned the EFCC accusing the politician of taking salary above his pay grade.
The petition was instituted after Omokri had recently shared his salary slip on his social media page.
Sharing update on the petition, Ihemeje wrote:
Following the shocking revelations made by a Nigerian lawyer and media expert Oraye St. Franklyn, concerning Mr Reno Omokri in his highly complicated and questionable employment with the presidency during the reign of president Goodluck Jonathan, we’ve uncovered some dubious discrepancies thereof.
First, by Reno’s admission and facts provided by him, he was appointed as Special Assistant to the president.
However, the payment slips he posted on social media clearly disclosed that he was receiving salaries as Senior Special Assistant.
That must be serious criminal offense, if he had no prior elevation to SSA, and or has not yet refunded the excess salaries he collected yet.
This is why we’ve decided to take the legally needful steps of bringing him to justice.
Hence, we took out this public interests petition to relevant agencies to investigate Reno, and ensure our public funds are repatriated to the coffers of the federal republic of Nigeria.
The petition reads in part: “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,iIntegrity, 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.”