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| Dr.Bukola Saraki |
PRESIDENT of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Friday lost his
bid to stop his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT over allegations of
failure to declare his assets as a President of the Senate as well as during
his tenure as the executive governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011.
The Supreme court in delivering the judgment on an appeal
filed by the embattled Senate President challenging the jurisdiction of the CCT
on the matter, upheld that the ruling of the Court of Appeal which ruled that
the CCT has a competent jurisdiction on the matter and on the applicant.
Saraki, in reaction has expressed disappointment over the
ruling, unfortunately, the apex court judgments cannot be appealed except to
the creator of the universe.
However, the Supreme Court judgment was in order pursuant
to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
the Public Service Act and therefore should be commended. In particular, the justice
system should be extolled over the verdict irrespective of the motive behind
the prosecution as it is widely believed to be political.
Dr. Saraki is the Presiding officer of the National Assembly
who by hierarchy is the third in the order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
at the moment. Unfortunately, his office is not clothed with ‘Immunity’ as it
is the case for the offices of the President, Vice-President, Governors and
Deputy-Governors.
This therefore implies that apart from the parliamentarian immunity
which he enjoys alongside his fellow distinguished Senators as well as the
honourable members of the Houses of Representatives and Assembly in various
states albeit only at the chamber of the National or House of Assembly as the
case may be, the President of the Senate is criminally liable for his
commissions or omissions irrespective of the number three position he occupies.
In view of this, the Code of Conduct Tribunal had both issued
a warrant of arrest to the Senate President and above all, publicly docked him in
the accused box. This alone is tantamount to disrepute to the Senate and
essentially, the sovereignty which he supposedly holds in trust for the people.
Reasonably, the distinguished Senators cannot just fold their hands and watch
this episodes continue to play itself out as if it does not matter. Perhaps, on
account that Saraki belongs to the All Progressive Congress but strategically
in strong alliance with his former party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The office of the Senate President cannot be over politicized
in the manner it is going in this present 8th National Assembly. If
not, the flavour and glamour that goes with the office would be destroyed. The
sanctity of the office is greater than which party, faction, group or tribe that
produces the occupier of the office.
With the present position of things, the leadership of the
upper legislative arm of the National Assembly cannot afford to overlook it. At
most, they could rally around towards electing a new Senate President from
Saraki’s group. Indeed, it matters. In the civilized world, when a public officeholder
is accused with obvious substantiation, usually, the honourary step to take is
to vacate the public office towards facing the prosecution in pursuant to
maintaining the sanctity of the office.
No doubt, by section 36(5) of the Constitution, every one
charged of a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is
proved guilty. Hence, Saraki’s membership of the Senate remains intact, but on
moral ground, should vacate the office of the President of the Senate.
This is
because, by the Supreme Court verdict, he is clearly a competent suspect at the
moment who could be either discharged and acquitted on one hand, or be
convicted if found guilty after proving the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Nigerians should learn to do things in line with the conventional norms.
Politically, it could be said that Saraki’s woes are
traceable to his ambition or over-ambition to becoming the leader of the
Senate. However, the motive or circumstances that led to the present predicament
have been overtaken by events. The matter could have been subjected to
political resolution before the charges were filed in the court. Nevertheless,
who is the overall beneficiary, of course, Nigeria. Hence, no cause for alarm. A
development of this nature would line up as precedents that would reshape the
nation to be consistent with other nations of the world.
Remarkably, President Mohammadu Buhari has showed leadership
by example by his official handover to the Vice President, Professor Yemi
Osinbajo while on a short vacation in the United Kingdom. Other public officers
should queue behind this outstanding action taken by the President and emulate
him. Public offices should not be mistaken as fiefdoms. Let’s do things the
right way.
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