ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The pro democracy non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has called for the immediate resignation of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Chairman, Danladi Umar over lingering corrupt allegations.
The national coordinator, HURIWA, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko in a letter addressed to Umar on Monday demanded for his immediate resignation “because of the official indictment of your person on allegation of corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following an investigation of yourself and your personal assistant, Ali Gambo Abdullahi over an alleged N10 million extortion racketeering”.
Onwubiko recalled that the primary responsibility of the Nigerian State is the abolition of corruption as clearly enshrined in Section 15 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which has in a way disqualified him from his office.
According to him, Umar’s resignation would be in line with the mantle of President Muhammadu Buhari administration, which has made profound pronouncements of its commitment to wage unrelenting law based crusade against corruption and abuse of office.
For the avoidance of doubt, he said, “we have decided to reproduce the exact wording of the constitution aforementioned thus: ‘The state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.'”[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560”]
He emphasised that fifth schedule, part 1, article one which is the code of conduct for public officers in generic terms specified that, “A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities”.
Part of the letter read: “In the line of the aforementioned facts, we wish to state that we are aware that your good self is still on an administration bail in the sum of N 5 million naira (N5, 000, 000) from the EFCC in the matter of “A case of conspiracy, bribery, abuse of office and money laundering” CR/NO: 035/2013 in a complaint filed by one Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo.
“Sir, we have also accessed a report written by the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to the former president Goodluck Jonathan on the 12th of may 2014 recommending your removal from office.
“As a member of the judiciary which is the custodian of our laws, it is only lawful and respectful that you resign from your exalted position to save the nation and judiciary from this monumental opprobrium. He who goes to equity must do so with clean mind devoid of allegations of fraud,” he urged.
Onwubiko stressed that the nation’s Judiciary is at this time is “passing through very difficult phase because of the groundswell of allegation of corruption involving several judicial officers and it is only proper that you resign within 24 hours from your high office as the chairman of the CCT and be informed that we in the civil society community are prepared to use all constitutional and legal means to ensure that you will not continue to function as the chairman of the code of conduct tribunal should you fail to heed our advice”.
He noted that the constitution in section 6 (1) states as follows: “The judicial powers of the federation shall be vested in the courts to which this section relates, being court established for the federation”.
Besides, he said that the tribunal is pivotal to the fight against corruption which made the framers of our constitution to enshrine a provision in the fifth schedule for its powers and functions.
The HURIWA boss said that “there is no way a minister in the temple of justice can adjudicate over matters of crime when he is also recommended to stand trial and / or has allegation of bribery dangling on his neck like the proverbial sword of damocle”.
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