SARAKI'S FALSE DECLARATION OF ASSETS CASE SHOULD FACE THE ACID TEST NOW AND BE PUT TO REST!

The Legislature as the representative assembly of the citizens of a country is empowered by their Constitution to enact, revise or repeal the laws and statutes regularly to ensure political/socio-economic advancement of the people in comparison to acceptable international standards. It is therefore imperative that such a body must exude top-notch, efficient and qualitative administration laced with some degree of expertise and specialization by the elected legislators who should be proven professionals in their various fields to match the growing complexities of a modern world! But Nigeria's distinguished body of legislators of the 8th National Assembly - most especially - the exalted upper house of the bi-cameral arrangement (Senate), has woefully failed the nation since inauguration on 9th June, 2015 through a coup-de-grace against the ruling party that brought 'Bukola Saraki on board as Senate President! Barely four months into his newly conquered office precisely 11th September, 2015, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), filed a 13-count charge No.ABT/01/15, against Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), for offences of anticipatory declaration of assets, false declaration of assets while Governor of Kwara State (2003-2011), failed to declare some assets acquired as governor, acquiring assets beyond his legitimate earnings, operating foreign accounts while being a public officer, among other charges, and the upper legislative chamber, had remained in turmoil because the very weighty accusations against him by the Federal Government was a jolt out of the blues, for a house that was divided against itself since inauguration! Saraki, who was eventually arraigned on 22nd, September, 2015 and his apologists have claimed that the pressed charges were nothing short of "political witch-hunt" to punish him for defying Party supremacy and by installing himself as Senate President with the succinct connivance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), opposition members who captured the deputy president's position in the bargain! The mammoth crowd that trooped to court with Saraki on his first court appearance was evidence that most legislators and civil servants were equally in default of the CCB Act and had to show solidarity with such impunity!

The Biblical History of the Mixed Multitude!
The mixed multitude syndrome which is very visible within the APC dates back to the biblical times when the Israelites were liberated by God to depart Egypt after 400 years of slavery and servitude. They were to move into a promised land flowing with "milk and honey" and dwell forever in peace and tranquility, but a mixed multitude from Egypt followed them out on their journey and caused them not only great discomfort, but also led them to all manner of sinful pleasures which ultimately separated them from God who loved them so much as to use them as His show piece to the world! (Exodus.12:38-39; Numbers11:41-28; I Corinthians.10:6-12).
Majority of all those who moved out of PDP led by Saraki are the mixed multitude now trying very desperately to rip All Progressives Congress (APC), asunder if great care is not taken by the divinely chosen managers of the Party led by President Muhammadu Buhari! Political watchers all agree that 'Bukola Saraki is a die-hard and core PDP faithful because he reluctantly joined APC when it was certain that he would lose his senatorial position if he remained in the PDP since the whole State had defected to the Change Party!

The Genesis Of Saraki's Travail!
Having enjoyed two terms as PDP Governor of Kwara State (2003-2011), through the popularity of his philanthropist father, late Dr.Olusola Saraki, Bukola gunned for the Senate Chambers seat through the Kwara Central Senatorial District and was duly elected to take over from his half sister, Gbemi, who aspired to become the first female governor of Kwara State, but failed! Bukola returned to the Senate in 2015 under the banner of the APC with a determined but hidden agenda to occupy the prestigious number three seat of Nigeria as Senate President to equal his father's record of Senate Presidency of the Second Republic from 1979-1983! To achieve this feat he had to disrespect the APC President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and entire Party hierarchy which invited him to a caucus meeting to caution him on his inordinate ambition since that position was already zoned to the North East but he dodged the meeting which was to be held two hours before the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly, disguised himself, drove a private vehicle to the National Assembly and got seated in the hallowed chamber with his "coup plotters" while he was still being expected at the Party caucus meeting! At 10am on the said day, the Clerk of the Senate began proceedings for the inauguration of the 8th NASS without forming a quorum because almost all APC elected Senators were at the Party's caucus meeting and in the process of time, the shocking news that Bukola Saraki had emerged as the Senate President of the 8th NASS with opposition candidate Ike Ekweremadu, as his vice, hit global air waves as the rudest shock of the 21st Century! The unfolding commotion and ripple effects of that "coup-de-grace" are still reverberating and would not settle until 'Bukola Saraki vacates that seat honorably or dishonorably!

Call It Witch Or Wizard Hunt, Certain Facts Are Very Germane:
That 'Bukola Saraki during his 8-year tenure as Kwara State Governor actually filled and filed those Assets Declaration Forms in question. That he had neither questioned nor denied the validity of the information on the said forms but had queried the lapse of time between 2011 and 2015, before CCB decided to bring up the charges against him. That he had fundamental rights to have been notified of any of the discrepancies allegedly discovered on the said forms. That CCT Judge, Justice Danladi Umar, lacked jurisdiction to try him and for those reasons, his team of 79 lawyers - mostly senior advocates - advised him to challenge the suit from the High Court up to the Supreme where he lost all appeals.

The Supreme Court Judgment!
On Friday, 5th February, 2016, the Supreme Court's Seven-man Panel, presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, unanimously ruled in its judgment that Saraki's appeal against the jurisdiction of the CCT and the competence of the charges, lacked merit. Justice Walter Onnoghen, who delivered the lead judgment, dismissed all Saraki's seven grounds of appeal, affirming that the charges instituted against him were valid and that the tribunal was validly constituted with requisite jurisdiction to try him!

Show Me Your Friends Mr. Senate President!
The embattled Senator, is blessed with scores of friends, who would go the extra mile to see him out of his self-imposed travails, no matter the cost! First, Kwara friends who voted for him at all elections since his debut into the political turf and regularly queued up to collect annual Rammadan/Sallah food items, clothings and cash gifts as rewards, even at the risk of their lives during human stampedes that regularly marred the philanthropic gesture! It is on record that between 2010-2016, at least 67 people including seven of his campaigners died in such gory incidents according to newspapers reports which queried several cover-ups by the Police of credible figures of deaths!
'Bukola followed up in the footstep of his late father, a philanthropist who often distributed those items during the annual Muslim celebrations to the poor, needy, widows and the aged of Ilorin communinities until his demise on 14th November, 2012. Second, political associates and praise-singers who have immensely benefited through juicy Senate Committee appointments for their loyalty and support in his drive to the number three position! Third, legal team friends made up 79 wise men who assured him of judicial victory provided all professional fees were settled up-front. Though they were well informed as "learned brothers" that there was no provision for declarants to be invited by CCB to clear grey areas in their filed forms, yet they assured Saraki of his fundamental rights and tried fruitlessly to disqualify the Judge from sitting over the case for lack of jurisdiction, until they totally crashed and lost at the apex court! Fourth, the camaraderie of 84 distinguished senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the early stages of the trial which - seven months - have dwindle to less than 12 at the last hearing on 22nd April, 2016 since the trial Judge, Justice Danladi Umar had ruled that trial would be held daily from Monday 18th April 2016, to its conclusion without any entertainment of adjournment! Fifth, a lone-ranger Senator friend who stood up to challenge the very enactment of the CCB/CCT Act and introduced a controversial bill on the floor of the house to whittle down the powers of the constitutionally constituted body and transfer its control from the Executive to the National Assembly though aware that beginning from the CCB, all the 14 Federal Executive Bodies are the responsibities of the Federal Government (Third Schedule.Part I. A-M). The first time Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, representing Delta North Senatorial District prayed that the CCT should no longer treat false declaration of assets and other related breaches in the CCB Forms as criminal trials but as mere civil matters that would attract only fines! With the support of mixed multitude in the Chamber, it was smooth sail from first to second readings and passage to the Committee on Judiciary within a week of submission knowing fully well that the Senate had no power to initiate retroactive laws and that Saraki would in no way be favoured even if they succeeded in pushing through the very ambiguous and pro-corruption bill!
An investigation by Sahara Reporters of New York revealed that Nwaoboshi who is a lawyer had ulterior motives for sponsoring the bill to decriminalize corruption by public officers! One was that he was equally guilty of non-declaration of several assets which he acquired as Political Adviser to James Ibori, former governor of Delta State now serving jail term for corruption in the UK and whom he regularly visited because he also secured his senatorial ticket from jail! Saraki and Ibori according to the investigation are close friends. The other reason had to do with self preservation since Senator Nwaoboshi allegedly bought a Delta Government property in Lagos in a shady deal and which he failed to declare in his CCB Assets Declaration Forms! The avalanche of public outcry over the VODOO BILL almost brought the Heavens down and the "most distinguished Senators" had to discontinue action! FOR HOW LONG WILL THE NATION BE TAKEN THROUGH THE RIGOURS OF DECEIT BY THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MASSES BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF STRONG INSTITUTIONS?
The specified punishment which the Code of Conduct Tribunal may impose on a person convicted of charges of false declaration of assets and other related offences under the Fifth Schedule, Part I, Section 18(1) (2) (a)(b)(c) are as follows: Vacation of office or seat in any legislative house as the case may be, Disqualification from membership of a legislative house and from the holding of any public office for a period not exceeding ten years, and Seizure and forfeiture to the State of any property acquired in abuse or corruption of office and 18(3-7) which state that the sanctions mentioned above shall be without prejudice to the penalties that may be imposed by any law where the conduct is also a criminal offence. That guilty persons shall have right of appeal but that nothing shall prejudice the prosecution of such officer or preclude him/her from being prosecuted for an offence in a court of law and that the provisions of the Constitution relating to prerogative of mercy shall not apply to any punishment imposed in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 18(1-7).
The good people of Nigeria do not deserve legislators selected through bribery and corruption; who are UNFIT, UNEDUCATED, AND CLUELESS! No one should blame 'Bukola Saraki for exercising his "fundamental human rights" in a system that is fraught with institutional corruption which is still is being entrenched in the system by the mixed multitude who are APC members in the day time and PDP in the night! Legislators are empowered to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation and not to contradict the Constitution according to Section 4((9). 'BUKOLA SARAKI'S CASE IS THE LITMUS TEST ALL PATRIOTIC NIGERIANS HAVE BEEN PATIENTLY WAITING FOR! Thy will be done in Nigeria O Lord!

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon. 08130669886, 08098194390. 08080243066 g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.

Will be coming back