There is no doubt that Nigerians are getting agitated over the Senate President’s trial in the Code of Conduct Tribunal while still occupying the office. It is obvious that something is definitely wrong somewhere.
It just cannot be fathomed why Nigerians, particularly members of the National Assembly would allow this shame to be brought to bear upon our beloved country without the supporters of Saraki and the man in the eyes of the storm seeing beyond their nostrils. In other climes, even in other African countries, the Senate President by now ought to have resigned from office and someone else takes over while he goes to clear himself at the tribunal. This certainly does not mean that he would be perceived to be guilty as charged.
Even in Civil service, once there are allegations of fraud or even false declaration of assets as in the case of Saraki, the Civil Servant is made to step down from office, irrespective of the office, that is, big or small and the Civil Servant during the period is placed on interdiction. He earns half salary during the trial period and if found guilty, his appointment is terminated, but if not, he is reinstated and his full salary restored.
But in the case of Saraki, he is occupying a very important office in the country, the number 4 position in a country of over 170 million people and is facing very serious criminal charges at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, a case he has challenged the jurisdiction up till Supreme court and lost, his remaining in office is certainly an aberration. His colleagues in the red chambers, surprisingly do not see anything wrong in this arrangement. As it stands, it is not only a shame unto Saraki, it is a shame unto all the senators of the 8th National Assembly, spending tax payers’ money, which in my consideration, appear to be monies being wasted under the current scenario and one wonders if anything good will ever come out of such an assemblage.
At his last appearance at the tribunal, Saraki came up with yet another ridiculous ask. He said the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) should have invited him to clarify issues on his asset declaration form before charging him to the tribunal for alleged false asset declaration, a ground for which, he said, the CCT struck out a similar case against Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was accused of false declaration of assets, was set free by the tribunal because of the failure of the CCB to fulfill necessary conditions of inviting him first to make statement on the alleged discrepancies before referring him for trial.
He also argued that ten other former governors who had the opportunity of being invited to defend their asset declaration before CCB were not referred to the tribunal after taking explanations on their declared assets.
The point remains that if someone is caught for stealing, he should face the music he finds himself and not trade words. You don’t say you do not have case to answer because someone else who stole like you was not punished. Before the law, that remains a flawed argument. That argument in itself, is an admittance of guilt
Sadly too, Saraki is contending that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) was wrong in law in initiating the charge against him because the Code of Conduct Bureau Act vested power to accept asset declaration form, investigating assets form and prosecuting the offender on the Bureau and not on any external force like the AGF, ICPC or EFCC. Again, this gives Saraki away as someone abusing the court process because what he is asking for had been determined by various courts up till the supreme court.
Much more, the Code of Conduct Bureau said there is evidence that, Dr. Bukola Saraki, while governor of Kwara State between 1999 and 2007, obtained huge bank loans and paid back the loans with funds belonging to the state. The bureau alleged that Saraki used the bank loans running into billions of naira to acquire landed assets in Lagos, Abuja and London.
The Bureau said it gathered the information from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which conducted investigations into various petitions written against the Senate President between 2010 and 2012.
Now, should Nigerians be made to watch their Senate President leaving important national task of law making and over sighting the executive abandon such duties and be making several appearances before the CCT as though they are watching an assizes soap? I think Bukola Saraki should save Nigerians this agony. He should step down and in my view, this is just time for him to do so.
It is not whether Saraki is guilty of the offence for which he is being tried. The law presumes him innocent until proved otherwise by the tribunal or any other court in the land. However, he should swallow the bitter pill of pride and bow out of office to have enough room and time to face his litigation with his team of 80 lawyers. He can even increase the number if he so wishes, but Nigerians deserve to have value for the money they are spending on their senators. The tax payers’ money must not be spent this way and the Senators of the 8th National Assembly owe Nigerians the duty of saving it from the agony of Bukola Saraki clinging unto the Senate presidency in the face of his on-going trial for alleged criminal offences.
• Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State.
