₦airaland Forum

The lingering political tussle between the Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and his predecessor, Dr Rabi’u Musa, took new dimension, yesterday, with the former threatening to probe the latter.

A statement issued by the Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, in Kano, said that Ganduje would probe Kwankwaso’s administration if the Kwankwasiyya movement continued to spread falsehood about the present administration in the state.

The statement said: “This deliberate distortion of facts and spreading of falsehood is capable of provoking the government to drop its non-confrontational stance and institute commission of inquiry to prove the previous administration, particularly on illegal land deals, education and infrastructure.”

It said the recent threat of taking legal action against Ganduje by the Kwankwasiyya Movement, if he (Ganduje) fails to stop wearing red cap, was the most laughable, pathetic and a clear indication of ignorance of the Kwankwasiyya Movement of law and history of political struggle in Kano.

He said that red cap was introduced by late Malam Aminu Kano and popularized by his followers and disciples including Ganduje, adding: “Ganduje was at the forefront of its re-introduction during the second tenure of Kwankwaso in 2011. Who, then, could better claim the red cap doctrine?”

He added that the decision made by the governor to continue wearing the red cap was nothing but a personal choice and manifestation of his high sense of decency, decorum, responsibility, modesty and political astuteness.

“These are rights and liberties guaranteed to any citizen by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, therefore, nobody has the right to deny the governor such liberties,” it said.

“The statement and empty threat should have been backed by citing the exact provisions of the Constitution, any statute, law or rules and regulations that were breached by the governor for his action, for it to hold any water, particularly in a court of law.”

An anti-corruption coalition, Citizens United Against Corruption, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to use operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in its anti- corruption operations.

The Convener of the group, Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, gave the advice on Sunday in Abuja in an interview with newsmen.

He said that the DSS should be restricted to enforcing operations strictly relating to national security matters.

He said that the statutory responsibility of the DSS relates primarily to national security matters, adding that deploying its operatives to anti-corruption enforcement operations would compromise and pollute its national security credentials.

Onwubiko said that though the president should be supported in his anti-corruption crusade, it should be seen to be driven by dispassionate commitment to national interest.

He described Citizens United Against Corruption, as an informal coalition of non-governmental individuals and sub-groups assisting the government in its fight against corruption.

He stressed the need for the government to have a credible platform in its fight against corruption devoid of sentiment and partisanship.

Onwubiko said: “In the process of fighting corruption, there are a number of pitfalls which the government should address.


“It is not just the government; the National Assembly has a lot to do in this respect by way of addressing the lapses that we find in agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC. “There is need for clarity regarding their statutory mandate. “There is also the need to have clear understanding of the roles of the DSS in the war against corruption because we are of the belief that the DSS is not the right body to tackle corruption per se. “Rather the DSS should restrict itself to tackling the issue of terrorism and other threats to internal security.

“These are much more important to every Nigerian than deploying its operatives to chase those alleged to have collected bribes. “That is a matter for the police; that is a matter for the ICPC and EFCC. “So, we are saying, let there be a kind of support that has to be given to these agencies.”

Onwubiko pledged that the coalition would remain apolitical to enable it deliver its mandate with credibility even as seeks to galvanise resources to undertake its operation on a larger scale. Earlier at news briefing, Onwubiko called on the Federal Government to safeguard the nation’s investment potentials by ensuring that the proceeds from corruption were retrieved and pumped into the national economy.

Finance minister Kemi Adeosun has dismissed insinuations of President Muhammadu Buhari being a hater of women even as she Friday said that the administration has pumped in the last four months pumped an unprecedented N720 billion to boost infrastructure.

Mrs. Adeosun who disowned dates attributed to her on when the nation would come out of recession said economic growth would depend on global oil prices and how the economy responds to the spending stimulus fashioned out by the administration.

Among the spending plans she enumerated was the Affordable Housing Programme aimed at boosting home ownership in the country. She said the contractors for the programme moved to site this week. Mrs. Adeosun spoke on a BBC programme Friday evening.

Asked if the president was a misogynist, she said: “I think the fact that he has appointed women into very senior positions says his view about women. I work with him very closely and I don’t see any misogynistic tendencies in him; in fact if for anything, I think he is very much in favour of women.”

On the administration’s plans to recover the economy from recession, she said: “We have released about N720 billion in about four months and that is the highest ever and we are still going to do more in investing in infrastructure because that is what has held Nigeria back.”

“For a number of years and almost for a whole generation we were moving in the wrong direction depending on oil, we didn’t invest in infrastructure. And everyone has known about the power challenges in Nigeria, the road challenges, the health challenges and the only thing that was just keeping us up was the high oil price and the high oil price has been stripped away and we have been laid bare, so it is going to take a bit of time to recover.”

Asked to reiterate a time when the country will slip out of recession, she said: “I didn’t say six months, I have refused to give a date and what I have said consistently is that we have to invest in infrastructure to get growth back again. Who is going to predict when we are going to come out of recession? It is a function of many things. It is a function of global oil prices and how the economy responds to the spending stimulus.

What we have said consistently is that if we stick to the plan that growth will return. “We are doing the Affordable Housing Programme and the contractors have just moved to site this week and that is aimed at addressing the cost of living issue. “We understand the peoples pain and what we are trying to do is spend our money in a way that addresses that pain,” she said.

ABUJA – The National Judicial Council, NJC, has described as “unacceptable”, call by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, for judges currently under investigation over allegations of corruption, to step down until their innocence is fully and completely established.

In a statement Friday night, the NJC which is headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, said it would neither suspend nor ask any of the accused Judges to proceed on compulsory leave as recommended by the NBA, insisting that such action would contrary to the provisions of Section 158 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

It said: “The National Judicial Council is not unaware of the judgment of the Court of public opinion on the recent events between the Department of State Services (“DSS”) and the Judiciary; and the various views expressed by Legal Practitioners, Academics, Politicians and the general public, particularly the current position of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association to wit:- “We therefore strongly recommend that, without prejudice to the innocence or otherwise of the Judges involved in the ongoing investigations, they should recuse themselves from further judicial functions or required to proceed on compulsory leave until their innocence is fully and completely established or until the conclusion of all judicial or disciplinary proceedings”.

“NJC is constrained to inform the general public that its Constitutional mandate is to process and recommend to the Executive at the Federal and State levels, the appointment, and or the removal of Judicial Officers from office, including exercise of its disciplinary control of suspending and or warning Judicial Officers; after complying with due process and the Rule of Law.

“Since the creation of NJC vide the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, it has exercised its powers and performed its functions within its Constitutional limitations.

“Thus, the current position of the Nigerian Bar Association vis-à-vis its recommendation that the affected Judicial Officers involved in the on-going investigation of Judicial Officers by the DSS, be requested to proceed on compulsory leave until the conclusion of all disciplinary proceedings against them, is unacceptable to the NJC; as it breaches the 2014 Revised Judicial Discipline Regulations formulated by NJC pursuant to Section 160 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

“It is to be reiterated also that by the provisions of Section 158 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, NJC shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person while exercising its disciplinary power of control over Judicial Officers in the Federation.

“The Members of the public are hereby informed that the mechanism that will determine a Judicial Officer to be directed or requested to proceed on compulsory leave or be suspended from office, is a disciplinary power that NJC can only exercise after initiating disciplinary proceeding on the complaint or petition forwarded against the Judge, after he has been found culpable. Therefore, to act on the recommendation of the NBA, it is not only contrary to the provisions of Section 158 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, but it means NJC will direct any Judicial Officer that has been petitioned even if the allegations contained therein are frivolous and baseless, to proceed on compulsory leave or be suspended from office without complying with the Rule of Law.
“That is not the understanding of NJC of the intention of the framers of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended vis-à-vis its Constitutional powers and functions on initiation of disciplinary proceedings culminating in suspension of Judicial Officers. Thus, to act on the request of the Departments of Government and the recommendation of the NBA, the 808 Judicial Officers that had been petitioned and accused of professional misconduct and or corrupt practices, without investigation by NJC, would have all been suspended or sent on compulsory leave and the Courts would have been deserted.

“NJC is not unmindful of the concern of the public on a situation whereby a Judicial Officer is being investigated and or prosecuted for commission of a criminal offence such as Murder or Robbery; and whether he is not supposed to be requested or directed to proceed on compulsory leave or be suspended from office. In the circumstance, unless the Subject Judge accused of commission of the offence of Murder or Robbery is petitioned to NJC, it shall not assume the disciplinary power of control over Judicial Officers to suspend or direct the Subject Judge to proceed on compulsory leave.

“Thus, NJC can only direct any Judge alleged of committing such criminal offences, to go on compulsory leave or be suspended from office if he has been investigated and found by NJC culpable of misconduct.

“The participation of NBA Members in the Emergency Meeting of NJC was necessitated by the unfolding events between the DSS and the Judiciary, bordering on administration of Justice.

“Suffice it to say that the decision of NJC in respect of the recent events and the current state of the Judiciary, particularly in condemning the invasion and arrest of the Judicial Officers by the DSS and considers it as a threat to Independence of the Judiciary, which portends great danger to our democracy; and a clear attempt by the DSS to humiliate, intimidate, denigrate and cow the Judiciary, was unanimously taken by the Members of the Council present, including the President and other Members of the Nigerian Bar Association at its last Emergency Meeting which was held on 11th October, 2016”, read t statement signed by Acting Director of Information at the NJC, Mr. Soji Oye.

It will be recalled that the NBA had on Thursday, said it was necessary that the judges stepped down in order not to only protect the sanctity and integrity of judicial processes that may involve the judges concerned, but to also safeguard the public image of the judiciary as an institution.

The Kwankwasiyya movement have issued a 48 hours ultimatum to Kano state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to remove his red cap or face legal, as he is no longer a member of the movement.

Addressing a press conference in Kano Friday to mark the 60th birthday of the founder of the movement and 6th anniversary of the movement, Chairman of Hannun Karba, Hannun Rikewa said Alhaji Sharu Garba Gwammaja said Ganduje has betrayed the movement, hence deserved to be disowned.

Gwammaja said: “Earlier, we have offered the governor the sum of N1m to remove his cap and he failed to do so. Now we have given him 48 hours to either remove the red cap which is a symbol of Kwankwasiyya or else we will drag him to court. He deviated from the ideology of Kwanwasiyya and it is high time for him to stop wearing our symbol."

“Ganduje is enjoying the sympathy of Kano people because of the red cap he is still wearing even though his actions are contrary to the ideology of the movement. So we want him to stop associating himself with the movement because he is not one of us.”

He added that the true meaning of Kwankwasiyya is selfless service to the public, free education for all, promotion of peace and unity as well as respect to the rule of law.

“We appealed to the people of Kano to forgive us for presenting Ganduje to them as governor. We are regretting our action and God’s willing we will ratify it in the next general elections. We hope our apology would be accepted,” he said.