SENATE PRESIDENT, SARAKI IN MURKY WATERS

The alleged false assets declaration case against the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, is continuing at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja.

The tribunal had on Friday, issued a bench warrant, requesting the Inspector General of Police to arrest and compel Senator Saraki to appear before it today to defend the allegations dating back to his tenure as governor of Kwara State.

Senator Saraki is not at the Tribunal. The issue of technicality and composition of the tribunal is currently being debated. More details in subsequent bulletins.

Meanwhile, Senator Representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has tasked the Code of Conduct Bureau to publish all assets declaration made by public office holders from 1999 to date.

In a statement, Senator Sani said such publication will enable Nigerians form what he called ‘Transparency vigilante groups’ to verify such claims and depositions, to compliment the manpower deficiency of the CCB.

Staying with the Saraki saga, the Presidency says contrary to insinuations in some quarters, it has nothing to do with the current travails of the President of the Senate.

BUKOLA SARAKI, SENATE PRESIDENT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Senator Saraki is being invited to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja, on a three count allegation of false declaration of assets, dating back to his tenure as governor of Kwara State.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the presidency said attempts to link the ongoing trial of Senator Bukola Saraki to the Presidency, are unacceptable, adding that those claiming that the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal were acting on external influence were uninformed.

While stating that the war against corruption has no sacred cows, Mallam Garba Shehu emphasized that the President Buhari has vowed to respect the rule of law and will therefore not interfere in the matter.

In the meantime, a Professor of Criminology at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Femi Odekunle, says the current effort at eliminating corruption is yielding appreciable results.

He said though corruption has left a deep scare on the nation’s fabric, the ill must be seen as a threat to Nigeria’s overall existence for it to be tackled head-on.

Professor Odekunle who is a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee against corruption, said anti-graft agencies like the EFCC and ICPC has suddenly woken up from slumber, due to President Buhari’s disposition.   

He however requested that the current anti-graft campaign must extend beyond a single regime, while the strategy should tilt more towards the social and scientific approach.