Attack on court becoming national tradition – CACOL

October 3, 2015

October 3, 2015 : Fisayo Falodi 3 Comments

Executive Chairman, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran

A group seeking a corrupt-free society, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, has decried the recent attack on the Ogun State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta.

CACOL said it was disturbing that needless attack on litigants by overzealous and lawless politicians was gradually becoming a tradition in Nigeria.

Describing the attack on the Ogun State election petitions tribunal as a national embarrassment that tends to diminish the Nigerians as a people; CACOL urged the security agencies to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.In a statement on Friday, CACOL Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said it was saddening that no suspect had been arrested in connection with the attack three days after it occurred.

Adeniran said, “Attack is a national embarrassment that tends to diminish our value and dignity as a people. Such act of barbarism is only capable of debasing our sensibility as humans.

“By the way, what sort of society are we trying to build or what legacy shall we be bequeathing to upcoming generations, when the sanctity of our hallowed chambers of justice is flagrantly desecrated at will by those who have assumed a status of out-laws in our midst?

“Is ours turning into an animal kingdom where laws do not exist at all?

“Since the court is said to be the last hope of the common man in seeking justice, where else could the common man turn to when his last hope has been turned into a scene of jungle behaviour of all sort?”

He recalled that Nigerians were stunned not long ago when some group of political thugs invaded the premises of the High Court in Ado-Ekiti and beat up litigants, counsel and other court officials, including a judge whose official robe was torn to shreds.

Adeniran said to the best of his knowledge, the attackers were not invited for questioning, let alone arraigned for prosecution.

He said, “Because that show of national shame and embarrassment was allowed to go unaddressed, a precedent, so to say, has been set.”

Source: The Punch.

Ogun tribunal mayhem: Bring perpetrators to justice, CACOL demands

October 2, 2015

0

Newsverge Nigeria October 1, 2015

Press Release

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL has demanded the arrest and prosecution of party thugs that allegedly attacked a number of litigants in the premises of the Ogun State Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The incident, as reported in the PUNCH edition of Wednesday, September 30, 2015, which occurred on Tuesday, 29th September, 2015, while the tribunal was hearing the petition brought before it by the defeated PDP gubernatorial candidate in the last general elections, Gboyega Isiaka Nasiru, against the incumbent, Senator Ibikunle Amosu, saw people suspected to be thugs allegedly sponsored by a political party, suddenly storming the tribunal premises and began attacking prominent personalities and other litigants with dangerous weapons. They were reported to have invaded the premises in such a large number that forced the policemen on duty to quickly call for reinforcement.

CACOL said it’s highly disturbed at what is gradually becoming a tradition by some overzealous, lawless politicians in our country to continually engage in what could be described a national embarrassment that tends to diminish our value and dignity as a people. Such acts of barbarism are only capable of debasing our sensibility as humans.

“By the way, what sort of society are we trying to build or what legacy shall we be bequeathing to upcoming generations, when the sanctity of our hallowed chambers of justice is flagrantly desecrated at will by those who have assumed a status of out-laws in our midst? Is ours turning into an animal kingdom where laws do not exist at all?” lamented the coalition’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Debo Adeniran. Since the court is said to be the last hope of the common man in seeking justice, where else could the common man turn to when his last hope has been turned into a scene of jungle behaviours of all sort?

Not too long ago, Nigerians were stunned at the height of barbarism displayed in the premises of the High Court, in Ado-Ekiti, when political thugs invaded the court premises, beating and injuring litigants, counsels and other court officials which included a judge who even had his official robe torn to shreds. The aim, apparently, was to disrupt the case that involved their man, and this they succeeded in achieving as no one could stop them. Report had it that the court, thereafter, had to suspend its sitting for weeks.

Speaking further, Adeniran said, “To the best of our knowledge, nobody was arrested nor invited for questioning, talk-less of being arraigned for prosecution. And because that show of national shame and embarrassment was allowed to go unaddressed, a precedent, so to say, has been set. Today, again, it’s happening in Ogun State and as usual, no one will ever answer for this shameless display of incivility and bestiality.

Therefore, in order that this ugly dimension of gross respect for law and justice, and by extension, for the nation’s sovereignty, is curbed and discouraged, perpetrators and sponsors of this ugly, uncivil and grossly barbaric act in Ogun State, regardless of their social or political status, should be arrested and brought to book, otherwise we might unwittingly be introducing another version of score-settling methods by our politicians. Nothing short of that will be acceptable to law-abiding members of the public.

Source: Newsverge

CACOL condemns ineffectiveness of anti-corruption agencies

October 1, 2015

0

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, has expressed dismay over the seeming ineffectiveness of anti-corruption agencies created by the government, saying that by the existing constitutional powers conferred on the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, it is surprising that it has remained consigned to the background in anchoring the principle of accountability and probity of public officers.

This call is coming on information in some quarters that some politicians in the country have begun to lobby the CCB, into availing them the avenue to tinker with the information earlier submitted on the assets declaration forms already in its custody, to escape possible future prosecution. A development which came in the light of the ongoing trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, over alleged false declaration of assets.

CACOL, a group of civil-society, community-based and other non-governmental organisations, with the objective of fighting corruption and corrupt persons by any means possible at all levels in Nigeria, stated this in a press statement made available to newsmen by its acting media officer, Temitope Macjob.

According to the group, “One cannot but wonder as to why these all-important institutions whose activities basically anchor the principle of accountability and probity on the part of public officers had, all these while, so remained virtually consigned to the background, so to say, in the affairs of our democratic governance.”

Saying that CCB seems to be complicit in the exercise of its duty to the extent that they simply grant politicians unfettered access to assets declaration forms earlier submitted by them to be altered having seen that the new regime is not taking it easy with those who made anticipatory and false declarations, the group cautions CCB, asking it to sit up.

The group said: “The forms are not even properly kept; when one gets to their offices, constitutional process for accessing these forms that have been filled is not strictly complied with. They are left in open shelves and at times on the desk where the forms could even disappear, thus allowing a declarant to easily alter what he/she has earlier declared. Corrupt CCB officials, who engage in this criminal act should be warned to desist forthwith and be made to realise that the fate of the accomplice in a crime is as grave as that of the perpetrator.

“Looking at the CCB and Tribunal Act CAP 56, LFN 1990- The CCB and its twin sister, the, CCT, are extra ministerial departments set up by the Federal Government under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap 56, LFN 1990. The Act gave the Bureau the mandate to establish and maintain a high standard morality in the conduct of government business and to ensure that the actions and behavior of public officers conform to the highest standard of public morality and accountability.

“Corruption has so far succeeded in not only ravaging our values and pride, but has also succeeded in bastardising the psyche of the majority so much so that thieves are openly hailed and celebrated. Ours is gradually becoming a society that encourages opportunism in whatever form. The tendency to exploit every given opportunity to satisfy one’s selfish desire no longer rest only with the leaders, the led themselves now encourage the leaders to thrive in self-serving exploits.” CACOL said.

Source: National Mirror.

SARAKIGATE: Politicians running from their shadows – CACOL

September 30, 2015

0

September 29, 2015 There had been indications in the news that politicians in the country have begun to lobby the Code of Conduct Bureau into availing them the avenue to tinker with the information earlier submitted on the assets declaration forms already in its custody, to escape possible future prosecution.

A development which came in the light of the ongoing trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of assets. Politicians in the country had until now seemed to have taken the exercise for granted, believing that a day of reckoning may never come.

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, a group of civil-society, community-based and other non-governmental organizations with the objective of fighting corruption and corrupt persons by any means possible at all levels in Nigeria has expressed its dismay over the seeming ineffectiveness of the anti-corruption agencies created by the government. Going by the existing constitutional powers conferred on the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), one cannot but wonder as to why these all-important institutions whose activities basically anchor the principle of accountability and probity on the part of public officers had, all these while, so remained virtually consigned to the background, so to say, in the affairs of our democratic governance.

Information reaching us as shown that the CCB seems to be complicit in the exercise to the extent that they simply grant politicians unfettered access to assets declaration forms earlier submitted by them to be altered having seen that the new regime is not taking it easy with those who made anticipatory and false declarations. The forms are not even properly kept; when one gets to their offices, constitutional process for accessing these forms that have been filled is not strictly complied with. They are left in open shelves and at times on the desk where the forms could even disappear, thus allowing a declarant to easily alter what he/she has earlier declared. Corrupt CCB officials engaged in this criminal act should be warned to desist forthwith and be made to realize that the fate of the accomplice in a crime is as grave as that of the perpetrator.

Looking at the CCB and Tribunal Act CAP 56, LFN 1990- The CCB and its twin sister, the Code of Conduct Tribunal are Extra – Ministerial Departments set up by the Federal Government under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap 56, LFN 1990. The Act gave the Bureau the mandate “to establish and maintain a high standard morality in the conduct of Government Business and to ensure that the actions and behavior of Public Officers conform to the highest standard of public morality and accountability.”

Corruption has so far succeeded in not only ravaging our values and pride, but has also succeeded in bastardizing the psyche of the majority so much so that thieves are openly hailed and celebrated. Ours is gradually becoming a society that encourages opportunism in whatever form. The tendency to exploit every given opportunity to satisfy one’s selfish desire no longer rest only with the leaders, the led themselves now encourage the leaders to thrive in self-serving exploits.

It’s saddening and highly disturbing to see what has now become the norm for the led to constantly remind their newly elected (or appointed) leaders of why they should see their new positions as an opportunity that might come only once and so urge them to corruptly enrich themselves to the maximum at the expense of the less privileged. The common phrase nowadays is “it is our turn to chop”.

It is now a common sight to see ‘men of timber and caliber’ turning out in large number to accompany an accused corrupt person to the court or law enforcement or anti-corruption agencies, on a solidarity mission; all aimed at intimidating the institution of justice. This is why, when we put all these together, no one would envy President Buhari on his committed crusade against corruption.

We make bold to say that corruption has virtually become the second name of the average Nigerian, therefore, it would not be entirely out of place to insinuate that whoever is fighting corruption should see himself as indirectly fighting the generality of Nigerians; and we all know what that entails.

Once asset declaration forms were filled and submitted by public officials to the CCB, it becomes a criminal act for any official of the CCB to allow any alteration to the document. Since the politicians had already sworn to oaths that whatever they filled in the forms as their assets was correct, they cannot come back to seek any amendment to any part or section of earlier information therein. That they even attempted to change their declarations at all should be seen as a criminal exercise as doing so amounts to forgery and should be so viewed and treated.

If we are truly serious about fighting corruption and rid of it from our system, all hands have to be on deck and support must be given to the government to do the needful, regardless of who is involved. The Anti-corruption hurricane has started gathering momentum, only the corrupt needs to fear the whirl wind

Source: Newsverge.

Arrest politicians seeking to alter assets declaration forms – CACOL

September 30, 2015

0

September 30, 2015 : Fisayo Falodi

ALI GAMBO ABDULLAHI

An anti-corruption group, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, on Tuesday called for the arrest of politicians seeking to alter the information already contained in their assets declaration forms.

The group said those engaging in the practice should be arrested and prosecuted for forgery.

In a statement by its acting Media Officer, Temitope Macjob, CACOL said once assets declaration forms were filled and submitted by public officials to the CCB, it becomes a criminal act for any official of the bureau to allow any alteration to the documents.

It said since the politicians had already sworn to oaths that everything they filled in the forms as their assets was correct, they could not come back to seek any amendment to any part or section of information therein. CACOL, however, expressed dismay over what it described as the seeming ineffectiveness of the anti-corruption agencies in the country, especially the CCB.

The group said it was shameful that the CCB, whose activities were basically anchored on the principle of accountability and probity on the part of public officers, had been poorly discharging its responsibilities.

According to CACOL, the CCB is not properly handling the assets declaration forms already submitted to it by politicians.

The group said, “Information reaching us has shown that the CCB seems to be complicit in the exercise to the extent that the bureau simply grants politicians unfettered access to assets declaration forms earlier submitted to it to be altered having seen that the new regime is not taking it easy with those who made anticipatory and false declarations.

“The forms were not even properly kept; when one gets to the CBB offices, constitutional process for accessing these forms is not strictly complied with. The forms are left in open shelves and, at times, on the desk where the forms could even disappear, thus allowing a declarant to easily alter what he/she had earlier declared.

“Corrupt CCB officials engaging in this criminal act should be warned to desist forthwith and be made to realise that the fate of the accomplice in a crime is as grave as that of the perpetrator.”

Source: The Punch

Arrest politicians seeking to alter assets declaration forms – CACOL

September 30, 2015

0

September 30, 2015 : Fisayo Falodi 2 Comments