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.

BIR     Abdulazeez Arowona     Old Oyo     Olaiya Zuberu     Oro Grammar School Old Students Association     Saudat Abdulbaqi     Umar Ayinla Saro     Suleiman Idris     Ilorin South Constituency     Abdulganiyu Salahudeen     Shuaib Olarongbe     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Sobi Specialist Hospital     Saad Omo Iya     Gbenga Adebayo     Musa Yeketi     Ahmad Lawan     Funmilayo Mohammed     Damilola Yusuf     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     Joseph Daudu     Fareedah Dankaka     Ijakadi     Abioye Bello     Oyedun Juliana Funke     Awodun     Raymond Olaitan     Niyi Osundare     Jamila Bio Ibrahim     Haleeman Salman     Waziri Yakubu Gobir     Jimoh Olusola Imam     Mary Arinde     Adamu Attah     Irepodun     Alfa Yahaya Road     Abdulfatai Baakini     GAMA     Quran     Sai Kayi     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Dan Masanin     Erin-ile     AbdulGafar Tosho     Tanke Road     Nigerian Army     NAWOJ     Yahaya Jibril Usman     Raji Ayodele Kamaldeen     Abdulwahab Oba     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Yusuf Olaolu Ali     Alore     Kazeem Gbolagade     Ilorin Amusement Park     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     Olabanji Orilonishe     Abiodun Jacob Ajiboye     Lanre Badmas     Islamic Development Bank     Salary     Hakeem Idris     Ekweremadu     Gbemisola Oguntimehin     Mamatu Abdullahi     Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund     Kwara State Polytechnic     Computer Based Test     Adegoke Bamidele     Niyi Ogundiran     Samari     Jimba Babatunde     Usman Rifun     Ariyo     Kazeem Adekanye     Kwara Consultative Forum     Apaokagi    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Mufti Of Ilorin     Bola Sagaya     Prince Bola Ajibola     Mazars Consulting     Ilorin Like-Minds     Kisra     Umar Yakubu Jaja     JMK Construction Company Limited     Ganmo Power Sub-Station     Marafan Shonga     Elections     John Olobayo     Kamoru Kadiri     Abdulraufu Mustapha     Tafida Of Ilorin     Tinubu     Abdulsalam Firdaous Amosa     Ilofa     Abdulrosheed Okiki     Tuesday Assayomo     Temi Kolawole     Ganiyu Taofiq     Seni Saraki     SSA Youth     Ajuloopin     Kayode Ishola     Adijat Adebiyi     Apaokagi     Zulkifli Ibraheem     Magaji Are     Asa     Jebba     Ibrahim Abdulkadir Abikan     Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency     Towoju     Saka Asiat Ayinke     Ahmed \'Lateef     Oba-Solagberu     Sarakite     Paul Olawoore     Seed Technologies     Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede     Issa Oloruntogun     Falokun-Oja     SARS     Goodluck Jonathan     Ayegbeni     Abdulkadir Akanbi-Oke     Nigerian Medical Association     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Garba Ado Sanni     Al-Hikmah University     Yusuf Olaolu Ali     Turaki Of Ilorin     Kwara State Fire Service     Akorede     TETFUND     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     Olaitan Buraimoh     Adamu B. Yaqubu     Niyi Osundare     Rihanat Ajia     Awodun     Maigida     Kwara Poly     Kwara Restoration Project     Eruku     NURTW     Lawal Jimoh     ER-KANG Mining Nigeria Company Limited     Omupo     Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye     Mumeen Lah     Ibrahim Gambari     Ishaq Salman     Aremu Odolaye     Saadatu Modibbo-Kawu