Wheels Of Justice: Nigerians Must Resist Corrupt Senate – ANEEJ

By Alltimepost.com

Frontline human and environmental rights group, the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice has called on Nigerians to resist the nation’s corrupt Senate for its most recent questionable acts, including the hasty passage of the bills amending the Code of Conduct Bureau Act and the Administration of Justice Act.

The said Bills now being referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for Review, scaled second reading within 48 hours, the fastest in the annals of legislative business in Nigeria, ANEEJ Executive Director, Rev David Ugolor said in Benin recently.

He described the bills as suspicious and shambolic because they were procured after Dr. Saraki allegedly purchased and distributed 36 Toyota Land cruiser V8-Engine SUVs to senators who facilitated them.

The bills seek 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 at a time when the senate president himself is facing corruption charges at the Code of Conduct Bureau Tribunal.

With reference to the recent 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, he said ANEEJ, was satisfied that after every legal hurdle has been scaled, the Saraki trial can now proceed in earnest.

“With the judgement at the Federal High Court in Abuja, we renew our call on those involved in attempting to shift the posts in favor of the rich and affluent to desist from doing so, taking into consideration the implications of the Federal High Court judgement.”

Rev Ugolor said the law was 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 the following numbers: +2347034033888, +2348075757000, +2348065290996.

Ugolor recalled how before and after Saraki was arraigned at the Code of Conduct Bureau Tribunal on charges bordering on false assets declaration and money-laundering, he (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 the senate president’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,” Ugolor said.

He remarked that 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.

Rev. Ugolor called on all people of goodwill in Nigeria to prevail on Corrupt Nigerians occupying public office to stop soiling and weakening such offices through fraud.