A civil society group, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has reiterated its call for the impeachment of Senate President, Bukola Saraki on grounds of incompetence.
In a statement signed and issued by its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran, the group noted that the manner with which Saraki emerged president of the Senate was questionable right from inauguration and that it was considered dubious by majority of Nigerians.
CACOL alleged that Saraki was someone known for running publicly-owned businesses bankrupt, and for facing many criminal corruption cases simultaneously while sitting as President of the Senate in the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly and doubling as the Chairman of the National Assembly.
It pointed out the asset declaration case Saraki was facing before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the recent allegation of forging Customs papers in cover for a shatter-proof Sports Utility Van, SUV said to have been purchased at the exorbitant amount of N298M under the current perilous economic situation, and his alleged involvement in the diversion of the first tranche of the Paris club fund which linked him to about N19 billion.
The statement reads in part: “Specifically we say for the umpteenth time that Bukola Saraki is not fit to head the National Assembly and we are repeating this with every stretch of conviction that the longer he occupies the exalted position, the more grievous our situation will get as a result of his apparent incurable corruption tendencies.
“Nigerians must not allow their focus on rebuilding their country to be lost or shifted from cause by people like Saraki, his ‘soul mate’ Dino and their cohorts while they rollick in their unexplainable humongous ill-gotten wealth; a catastrophic reality they have sustained thus far while our commonwealth is pilfered at will and with impunity leading to the persisting excruciating socio-economic and political condition of existence. That is the bigger picture, which is the circumspection we must not lose.
“The manner with which the Senate leadership emerged was questionable right from inauguration and considered dubious by majority of Nigerians. Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu were alleged to have illegally amended the standing rules that ostensibly aided their emergences both as Senate President and deputy President respectively.
“Given this messy background, it is not difficult for anyone discerning enough to understand that hardly will any good thing emerge from a Senate such a leadership.
“One just needs a glance at the resume of the characters in Senate in relation to the several corruption allegations against many of the members to understand why the hallowed Chamber has assumed the current colouration.
“Beginning with Saraki, he is someone who is known for running publicly-owned businesses bankrupt, he is not fit to be called or be elected as a Senator not even to talk of becoming the Senate President.
“With his background and considering that he oscillates between sitting in several criminal suspects’ box at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and other courts as a criminal suspect while sitting as President of the Senate in the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly and doubling as the Chairman of the National Assembly, the situation becomes an aberration. And this makes Saraki morally and ethically a misfit for the exalted position of Senate President.
“He was also recently yet again alleged to have been involved in the diversion of the first tranche of the Paris club fund, linking him to about N19bn. And there are many others like him in the Senate.”
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