SAGAY CHALLENGE JEGA ON BRIBRY
Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN)
Eniola Akinkuotu
He said Jega was not known to speak
frivolously and would most likely have evidence which could worsen the
case of the lawmakers.
The PACAC chairman stated, “Obviously,
Jega has names. I wouldn’t be surprised if when he was presiding over
INEC, some of them did that (demanded bribes); so let them not challenge
him too far. He just decided to be politically correct by not
mentioning names. If they challenge him, he would mention names.
“We all have names of different people
who have done different things. The fact that no one is mentioning them
doesn’t mean the claims are not true. So, he is right. This corruption
has been going on since 1999.
“They claim to be carrying out oversight
functions and would insist that the agency they want to oversight would
book their hotel rooms, pay for their food, pay for their transport and
then give them money in addition. What sort of result would come out of
such an oversight exercise?
“They have run their institution aground, making it almost irrelevant in Nigerian democracy.”
The senior advocate said for corruption
to be curbed in the National Assembly, Nigerians must ensure that they
elect only people of high moral standard.
He added that the lawmaker, representing
Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Senator Shehu Sani, was among the
few incorruptible persons in the Senate.
Sagay said, “The legislature will change
when people of integrity begin to enter the Senate and begin to kill
that culture (of corruption). For example, even though I don’t agree
with him in all things, I would be shocked if I hear that Senator Shehu
Sani demanded bribe from anybody because I believe he is a man of
integrity. When more and more people like that begin to come in, there
would be a change.
“Secondly, there needs to be a culture
of punishment and consequences and that is what we are watching out for.
With the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if in future,
anyone found guilty of that act would be arrested and charged.”
Sagay, who had, in March, promised to
publish details of the humongous allowances collected by Senate
President Bukola Saraki and other principal officers of the National
Assembly, said the task had experienced some hiccups.
The senior advocate said it might seem
lawmakers had been made to swear an oath of secrecy as some persons, who
initially wanted to give him the information, had begun to dilly-dally.
On why he hadn’t yet released the
details, he stressed, “My problem is that I am not getting cooperation
from my sources. There is a reluctance to disclose the truth. It is as
if we are having a cult or something because I think people have sworn
to an oath of secrecy because nobody is coming out now but I will
continue to try.”
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