My CCT trial, mere political persecution -Saraki

Date: 2016-02-27

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Friday described his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal as an act of persecution rather than a fight against corruption, saying he would not resign from his position because of it. Saraki said this while delivering the keynote address at the State Craft Masterclass series held during the Social Media Week in Lagos.

The Senate President is standing trial for a 13-count corruption charge including an allegation that he made false declaration of assets on assumption of office as Governor of Kwara State in 2003. Saraki, according to a statement by his Special Assistant on New Media, Mr. Bankole Omishore, however, said his trial was the handiwork of powerful people who were not happy with his emergence as Senate President.

He said, "We are public servants and you must fill your asset declaration form when you get in office and I did mine 13 years ago. "The charges have nothing to do with corruption or money being stolen anywhere. I will have my day in court to prove my innocence of the charge pending against me because it is not about corruption.

"I don't understand how the same organisation that cleared my asset declaration to be proper in 2004, 2009 and 2011 can now say that my record is faulted." He, however, did not mention the names of the persons said to be persecuting him.

Saraki also emphasised the growing influence of social media users in Nigeria's political environment. The Senate President encouraged the audience to continue to contribute to the development of Nigeria through their dialogue and debate on social media.

He said, "Without the involvement of social media, there is no way that we would have moved (away) from a non-performing government because now everything is out in the open unlike years ago."

Saraki commended the online community, which he described as the real 'Chairmen of INEC,' for sourcing election results from polling stations during the general elections and ensuring that the manipulation of vote counts. He said, "It is really thanks to social media that votes counted because you shared the results as they happened."

The Frivolous Petitions Bill, sponsored by the Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na'Allah, passed second reading on the floor of both chambers of the National Assembly in December last year while the Senate had fixed March this year for the public hearing. The Senate President also at the event announced that the National Assembly would be more open in its accounts.

Saraki called for continued cooperation and conversation between the government and the public via the social media, and noted that the recent National Assembly Interactive session with Civil Society Organisations was a huge success.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Harmony Holdings     Amoyo     Moses Afolayan     Senate Presidency     Jaiz Bank     Shonga     Omu Aran     Barakat Community Secondary School     Olatunji Abdulmumeen     Ibrahim Oniye     Aminu Ado Bayero     Ajibola Saliu Ajia     Okin Biscuit     Fatimat Saliu     Mohammed Jimoh Faworaja     Jelili Yusuf     Kale Belgore     Wasiu Onidugbe     NNPP     Akom Construction And Engineering Synergy Ltd     LAK Jimoh     Yusuf Lanre Badmus     Minimum Wage     Kwara State Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Babata     Adama Isa     Issa Oloruntogun     Bello John Olanrewaju     Valsolar Consortium     Igbomina     Oniwasi Agbaye     Yusuf Zulu-Gambari     Laolu Saraki     School Of Nursing     Bolakale Ayo     Pategi     Democracy Day     Noah Yusuf     Lithium Deposit     Olajumoke Monsura Gafar     Binta Sulyman     SSA Youth     Osinbajo     Abubakar Abdullahi Bata     Aso-ofi     Asa LGEA School     Logun     Ademola Kiyesola     Yetunde Balogun     Olaitan Adefila     Lanre Issa-Onilu     Academic Staff Union Of Universities     Tafida Of Ilorin     Abdulwaheed Musa     Kayode Bankole     Ballah     Agbarigidoma     Kwara Central     Adebara     Mohammed Abdulahi     Esuwoye     Saeedat Aliyu     Ogbondoroko     Ilorin International Airport     Kazeem Gbolagade     Tunji Arosanyin     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Onilorin     Timothy Olatunde Fadipe     Olaiya Zuberu     Ajase-Ipo     Rotimi Atere     Adesina Simon Sodiya     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Wahab Agbaje     Alloy Chukwuemeka     SSUCOEN    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Ilorin South Constituency     Ayotunde Emmanuel Alao     Sango-UITH Road     Coalition Of Kwara North Groups     Oba Abdulrahim     Ibrahim Abdulqadir Abikan     Theophilus Oyebiyi     Abubakar Suleiman     Bello Oyedepo     Aasiyat Bello Oyedepo     Kwara Basketball Association     Sadiq Umar     National Union Of Road Transport Workers     KWATMA     08001000100     Mohammed Haruna     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     Oloyede     Onilu     Royal FM     Alanamu     Oloruntoyosi Thomas     Valsolar Consortium     CELF     Gurei     Jamila Bio Ibrahim     NIPR     Cornelius Adebayo     Jimoh Saadudeen Muhammed     Ayobola Ipinlaiye     Joseph Daudu     Onilupeju Of Ilupeju     Benin Republic     Ilorin South     Modupe Oluwole     Esinniobiwa Quareeb     Neuropsychiatric Hospital     Issa Oloruntogun     Ijakadi     Haliru Dantoro     John Olajide Adedipe     Umar Saro     HICA     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Rachael Obisesan     Revenue Court     Jaigbade Alao     Oba-Solagberu     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     Muhammed Aliyu     Muhammed Taofeeq Abdulrazaq     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Yusuf Abubakar     Yahaya Oloriegbe     Ganmo     Zara Umar     Edu     Michael Nzwekwe     Shehu Jimoh     Arinola Fatimoh Lawal     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Modibo Kawu     Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede     Olupako     Ramadhan     Igbomina     Bello Oyebanji     JMK Construction Company Limited     CT Ayeni     Law School Scholarship     Hausa     Muslimah Entrepreneurship Forum     David Adesina     Olaosebikan     National Association Of Nigerian Students     Chief Of Staff     Mike Omotosho