ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – In what appeared to be a move to get even with the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Mr. Danladi Umar, for trying the Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on alleged false declaration of assets, the Senate on Thursday commenced the process of investigating allegations of fraud, bribery and inflation of contracts levelled against the CCT boss.
This followed the a petition presented against Umar on the floor of the Red Chamber by a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Obinna Ogba, who explained that the petition was signed by one Ajaso. I Ajaso on behalf of a group known as Anti-Corruption Network (ACN).
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Saraki is currently standing trial before Umar’s panel over a 13-count charge of alleged false declaration of assets, which was contained in the form he (Saraki) filled as the Governor of Kwara State at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) way back in 2003.
Ogba further explained that the petitioners, who had not sought judicial remedy against Umar, are, however, seeking the Senate’s intervention to probe the corrupt allegations contained in the document.
Saraki consequently referred the petition to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, and asked the chairman, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, to carry out a thorough investigation and report back in two weeks.
When contacted, after plenary to get details of the petition, Anyanwu said that it had already received legislative action.
It will be recalled that a group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Tuesday last week, petitioned the two chambers of the National Assembly, calling for an immediate probe of an alleged N10 million bribery scandal involving Umar.
HURIWA’s petition was signed by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, and addressed to Senate President, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara.
The group noted that the EFCC had started an investigation into the alleged bribery allegations leveled against Umar and his personal assistant, Mr. Ali Gambo Abdullahi.
HURIWA had clarified that as a civil society group, whose main objective is advocacy and protection of human rights in Nigeria, the immediate probe of the CCT boss would send a strong signal to those still doubting President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war.
“We write to bring to your attention for further investigation and necessary action a report of likely conspiracy by the EFCC, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Code of Conduct Tribunal to remove the Senate President from Office using the instrumentality of their public offices to achieve their aims,” the petition read in part.
The group alleged that the EFCC, through the CCT, launched a counter-attack on Saraki following the decision of the Senate to probe the former chairman of the anti – graft agency, Ibrahim Lamorde sometime in August.
“The Senate recently launched an investigation against the activities of the chairman of the EFCC. The EFCC as a counter-attack initiated and launched the prosecution of the Senate President as a retaliatory measure using the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation and a highly compromised Code of Conduct Tribunal to achieve their aim of removing the Senate President from office.
“The EFCC is aware that a compromised Code of Conduct Tribunal will always do its bidding because it has already concluded investigation into a N10 million bribery allegation against the Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal, Mr. Danladi Umar and his personal assistant, Mr. Ali Gambo Abdullahi,” the petition read.
The group further alleged that the former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, had already given a written directive to EFCC to proceed to prosecute the accused persons but that the anti – graft agency, for reasons best known to it decided to file charges against only Abdullahi, the personal assistant.
The group said both chambers of the National Assembly should note that the so-called investigation report in the trial of the Senate President at the CCT was probably prepared by the EFCC and that the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, is a well known EFCC counsel.
“The Senate and the House of Representatives should further note that the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal is still standing on EFCC Administrative bail of the sum of N5,000,000.00 (five million naira).
“The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in collaboration with their counterpart in the House of Representatives have the constitutional powers to recommend to Mr. President to remove any person found culpable in the above abuse of office or inability to discharge the functions of that office on ground of misconduct or for contravention of the laws,” part of the petition further read.