•Web of alleged graft that binds Conduct Bureau, Tribunal, EFCC, Senate President
•Why Senate President must face Tribunal

By Jide Ajani

At a time when it all looked uncertain, Sunday Vanguard dared to tell the world, categorically, in September 2011, that the case by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, against, former governor of Lagos State, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would fail because it was a voyage in misadventure. It did. Today, four years after, the same CCB, with its Chairman, Sam Saba, has embarked on another voyage, this time against Senate President Bukola Saraki, at a time when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is also investigating the former for allegations leveled against him by some staff regarding diversion of funds meant for promotion arrears.

This report will show why President Muhammadu Buhari must dispel the insinuation that his anti-corruption war, as being polluted by the CCB, the CCT, as well as Ibrahim Lamorde, Chairman of the EFCC, who himself is being investigated by the Senate for alleged diversion of N2trillion in recovered loot, is not his making by bringing-in fresh hands to help him fight this war. The report will also show why, like Tinubu, Saraki should face the tribunal and get this monkey off his back – if he can.

A WEB OF CORRUPT PRACTICES

Sam Saba, CCB Chairman

A petition from M L Ibrahim & Co Chambers in Kano, against Sam Saba, Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau, dated May 7, 2015, was sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The particulars of the petition, which was primarily the alleged diversion of over N100million by the Chairman, was signed by Lawan Yaro Mohammed.

Sunday Vanguard gathered from Mohammed during a telephone chat, yesterday, that the petition was, indeed, sent to the EFCC. He also confirmed that the EFCC had been inviting Saba in the course of the investigation of the matter.

That was not all.

Sunday Vanguard was able to also establish that, as was the case with a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, when Saba, working with some officials of Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidency, arraigned Tinubu without informing his fellow Commissioners at CCB, the case against Saraki, without prejudice to its merit, was also kick-started without the full knowledge and participation of fellow Commissioners. In 2011, the Commissioner in charge of the South-West Zone, as was published at that time, did not even know Tinubu would be arraigned.

Therefore, yesterday, Sunday Vanguard got in touch with the Commissioner in charge of North-Central Zone, Dr. Christie Ekoja.

Asked if she carried out the verification of the assets declaration of Saraki and if the CCB invited the beleaguered senator for clarification, she politely responded by saying “no comment”. The question is, why would the head of an anti-corruption body, enmeshed in allegations of corruption, be the one to set another for arraignment before a court?

Bukola Saraki and alleged false declaration.

The charges against Saraki are already well know and are in the public domain, from under-declaration to anticipatory declaration. The CCT is seeking his appearance tomorrow to answer to these charges.

He is also being accused of operating a foreign bank account as a public officer.

Whatever defects he claims the allegations have, he still needs to appear before the tribunal and defend himself. Until he is discharged of these allegations, they will hang over him no matter the plethora of court orders he gets.

Bribery allegation and Mr. Danladi Umar, CCT Chairman’s Office.

The third leg of the web of alleged corruption is Danladi Yakubu Umar, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT. Information available to Sunday Vanguard suggests that, sometime last year, a retired Comptroller of Customs, Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo, who was standing trial before Umar, allegedly negotiated a deal either with Umar or somebody in his office. N10million was the amount said to have been agreed to. Taiwo, playing along, allegedly paid N1.8million into the account of the PA to Umar.

Now whether it was meant for Umar or the PA was conducting his own private racket, is still being investigated by the EFCC.

Yet, the bulk of the witnesses the CCB and the CCT would be relying on are coming from the EFCC end. Still, it has not pricked the conscience of the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, or Saba of CCB and Umar of CCT that Nigerians would read a meaning of an unholy alliance into what is at play.

Ibrahim Lamorde of EFCC and allegations of embezzlement

The drama started with the EFCC inviting the wife of the Senate President, Toyin Saraki, for questioning. She was questioned, last month, but has so far not been charged to court by the Commission. It was after that that, the Senate, acting on a petition by one George Uboh alleging that Lamorde embezzled N2trillion, being proceeds of the sale of forfeited assets and recovered funds.

Meanwhile, the investigation by the Senate Committee is still on. Therefore, no other time would have been more opportune to rush before the CCT – without prejudice to the facts of the matter as presented before the CCT.

Connecting the dots.

EFCC-boss-Ibrahim-Lamorde

Once Saraki became Senate President by eyeballing his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and going ahead to defy same when filling leadership positions in the Senate, even a fool would have known that there would be a fight-back. But no one would have expected the fight-back to come in this form.

The legally laid down procedure for conducting an investigation in the event of any allegation of a breach of its Act by public officers covered by the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act provides thus:

(1)Any complaint that a public officer has committed a breach of or has not complied with the provisions of this Act shall be made to the Bureau. (2) Upon the receipt of any complaint, the Bureau shall cause a notice to be served on the public officer concerned to appear before it within a period of fourteen days from the service of the said notice. (3) The Bureau shall upon the commencement of investigation serve a notice debarring the public officer concerned from disposing of or otherwise dealing with any property which is the subject of investigation

By virtue of the above section, the Code of Conduct Bureau is required and mandated by law to serve notice on any public officer against whom a complaint has been made.

Having spoken with the Commissioner for the North-Central Zone, Sunday Vanguard was reliably informed at the CCB that no service has been made on the Senate President yet.

Whereas President Buhari is bent on fighting corruption, this convoluted approach, especially the web of alleged corrupt practices between the Senate President, Saraki, EFCC’s Ibrahim Lamorde’s on-investigation by the Senate, the petitions against Sam Saba of CCB and Danladi Umar of CCT, all form a staple for corruption unlimited.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/ccbcct-vs-saraki-vs-efcc-corruption-unlimited/

Adecom

And before long Buhari's PTF scandal will emerge to join the web. If his does not pacify Obj with appreciable number ministerial slots, his corrupt practices at Ministry of petroleum during the formers Military junta will also be washed outside...and Haliburton scam will rare its ugly head again and the loop continues until Tinubu's case with CCT is revisited again even Saint Sanusi Lamido was mentioned. And political understanding and settlement will come...and the masses will continue to go hungry...and that ends the tale of CHANGE #Desiani Allison Madueke @ smiling on her London sick bed

Changeeee

Whatever defects he claims the allegations have, he still needs to appear before the tribunal and defend himself. Until he is discharged of these allegations, they will hang over him no matter the plethora of court orders he gets.

This is the ONLY part I'm interested in. The problem with some of us is that we fail to understand that the law has no place for excuses. It only bothers on defence against the allegations and any other technical matters. In fact, judges these days are more concerned with merit of a case than technicalities. Whatever observations Saraki has, he should explain that to the Judge at CCT. Whether CCT Chairman is accused of corruption, it has no effect on Saraki's matter. It is a different subject that should be acted on by ICPC/EFCC. If they allege that Lamorde looted N2trillion (sounds silly though), the matter should be reported to SFU and petitions be sent to the Presidency for expedient action. The Senate is NOT a court, they have NO prosecutionary power.

All in all, there is no justification for Saraki. He must face his allegation. His sins has found him out!

No going back, Saraki must be arrested and arraigned tomorrow.

In Kabiyesi Oba of Lagos voice "FINISH"

All this paid journalist should take a chill pill. Bukola Saraki will have his day in court tomorrow and he will be given all the opportunity to defend himself. He has absolutely nothing to fear if his hands are clean.

That the chairman of the CCB, CCT and EFCC are being investigated for various corrupt offences does not mean that the institutions they all represented won't carry on with their constitutional duties. At the appropriate time and if need be, they will also have their days in court. But for now, Bukola Saraki takes the centre stage and he must defend himself.

This matter don tire Matayas ooo


[size=20pt]Lwise !!![/size]

hmmm, the way things are saraki would remain in the Senate till next elections, and then watch the real battle in 2019.

Indeed this is an anastomosis of corruption. Just imagine corruption trying to probe corruption.

Yet some persons won't see that this is a broad daylight political witch-hunt.

Like crabs in the bucket, the will all pull themselves down and by crush under the weight of their allegations.

PMB will change them all.

This shows that none of them is clean and this and this emergency fight against corruption without due process being followed is just a witch hunt against perceived enemies. But whatever which way it goes, Nigerians win as the thieving elite is being scattered by their prayers and long suffering.

Yet some deluded wailers are here crying like a sex starved mosquito, they wanted to see the actions of the anti corruption war, now we seeing the NO 3 citizen facing it and they back wailing like fools.

Saraki the JUDAS ISCARIOT. So desperate and self-centered.....with a whole lot of arogance.


Nairalanders, its my birthday today! Can i get a huge number of likes

Now this is what i call a 'epic comment'.

efilefun:
Yet some deluded wailers are here crying like a sex starved mosquito, they wanted to see the actions of the anti corruption war, now we seeing the NO 3 citizen facing it and they back wailing like fools.

bro its my b.day ooo

This is the good thing about this war on corruption! Now all of them are pointing on one another with proves. Very good. Senate president and his wife pointing at Efcc and Efcc pointing at CCT. Watch yet non can point to PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI or PROF OSINBAJO SAN [acording to saraki 'mere commisioner!]. So yet saraki is yet to tel us his oath to CCB is true. CHANGE has come to Nigeria. Pmb wil flush al of you. PDP prepare. Buhari have started with APC

Whatever defects he claims the
allegations have, he still needs to
appear before the tribunal and defend
himself. Until he is discharged of these
allegations, they will hang over him no
matter the plethora of court orders he
gets.

This is the crux of the matter. No matter the manipulation Seriki adopts, if he doesn't appear and clear himself, the allegations would be hanging over his head and would precede his image everywhere he goes. It would be like the mark of Kain on his forehead.