Benin City – Coming at the heels of the decision of a Federal High Court in Abuja, that a case of a breach of fundamental human rights brought before it by embattled Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki is an abuse of Court processes, the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, is satisfied that after every legal hurdle has been scaled, the trial of the President of the Nigerian Senate can proceed in earnest.
Before and after he was arraigned at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on charges bordering on false assets declaration and money-laundering, Dr. Bukola Saraki put the system to its fullest test by taking his case to all the courts in the land – the Federal High Court Lagos, Court of Appeal and even the Supreme Court – before Justice Abdulkadiri Kafarati said that Dr. Saraki’s fears that justice would evade him, were speculative, misplaced and had no place in law.
‘What this recent development shows is that even though the wheels of justice grind slowly, justice eventually gets dispensed if the political will is there to propel the wheels of justices’, ANEEJ executive director, David Ugolor has said.
Dr. Saraki has been fingered in the Panama Papers Leak as one Nigerian in high places operating subsidiary companies in tax havens like Panama and Jersey. Just before the judgement at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria hastily passed the Code of Conduct Bureau Act and the Administration of Justice Act, ACJA. The said Bills scaled second reading within 48 hours, the fastest in the annals of legislative business in Nigeria. ANEEJ, as well as every Nigerian, calls to question the timing of these Bills, and urges Nigerians to resist these bills being referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for Review. These suspicious and shambolic Bills were procured after Dr Sraki allegedly purchased and distributed 36 Landcruiser V8-Engine SUVs and distributed to senators who facilitated the Bills that seeks to transfer control of the Code of Conduct Bureau and its Tribunal from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to the National Assembly or to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
‘With the judgement at the Federal High Court in Abuja, we renew our call on those involved in attempting to shift the posts in favour of the rich and affluent to desist from doing so, taking into consideration the implications of the Federal High Court judgement. The law is no respecter of persons, and cannot be fraudulently adjusted through the back door and through bribes and subterfuge. ANEEJ encourages Nigerians to register their disgust and irritation with the appalling abuse of power and public trust by calling Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on these numbers thus:
+2347034033888,
+2348075757000
+2348065290996.
Corrupt Nigerians occupying public office should be prevailed upon to stop soiling and weakening these offices through fraud’, Ugolor said in a statement recently.
