Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria
and popular human rights lawyer, said it
was wrong for Bukola Saraki, the Senate
president to suspend Senate’s sittings
whenever his case was to be heard at the
Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
Femi Falana
According to him, the action of the Senate
and its President was an assault on the
nation’s collective morality, The Nation
reports.
He added that the Senate president violated
Paragraph 1 of the Code of Conduct for
Public Officers by suspending Senate’s
sittings to enable him to attend court sittings
in company of fellow senators.
Falana advised Saraki to stop suspending
Senate to attend his trial at the CCT with
other senators.
He disclosed this in an address, titled: As
Corruption Fights Back , delivered on
Monday, November 9 at the investiture of
Dare Oseni as the 2015/2016 President of
the International Association of Lions Club,
Lagos Isolo Lions Club, at Samkoll Graden,
Idimu, Lagos.
The lawyer stated: “ If this morally
despicable behaviour is not halted, the
distinguished senators may soon resolve to
appear in the various courts in the country
in solidarity with other members who are
facing terrorism and corruption charges.
“As the Senate President, Dr Bukola is
required to preside over the affairs of the
legislative house in the discharge of its
constitutional duty of making laws for the
country. Attendance at court sittings in
solidarity with any criminal suspect is
certainly not part of the constitutional
responsibilities of the senate .”
The activist noted that it was wrong to allow
public servants facing corruption allegations
to remain in office in the course
of their trial, adding that the right to do was
to step aside till they are cleared of such
allegations.
He pointed out that paragraphs 303, 404 of
the Federal Government Public Service
Rules (Corrected Version 2008) stipulates
that when a public officer is charged to
court with a criminal offence he/she shall
be interdicted and cease to report for duty
until the determination of the case.
Saraki is accused of a false declaration of
assets and is currently facing trial at the
CCT following a 13-count charge brought
against him of alleged corruption and false
declaration of assets while serving as Kwara
state governor.
His trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal
commenced on September 22 in Abuja.
Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba, had on
behalf of the 8th Senate, said he and his
colleagues were strongly behind the
embattled senate president .
The Senate president has been attending his
trial accompanied by his colleagues
suspending Senate sitting for that day. They
converge on the National Assembly from
where they take off in a convoy of buses for
the tribunal.
https://www.naij.com/633848-violating-law-falana-criticizes-saraki-closing-senate-cct-trial.html

Ok

, falana the pained..

He is no fool. He is afraid of being impeached while sitting in the dock. So he selfishly takes the Senate with him anytime he goes to court.
That's lawless Nigeria for you.