Senate president Bukola Saraki penultimate Thursday gave the Senate Ethics, Privilege and Public Petitions committee two weeks to probe the chairman of the CCT, Danladi Umar, over an allegation of corruption levelled against him by a non-governmental organisation, the Anti-Corruption Network.

The probe was sequel to a petition by the group, which was laid on the floor of the Senate by Senator Ogba Joseph Obinna (PDP, Ebonyi central).  

The upper chamber’s probe is coming at a time the CCT, under the watch of Umar, is trying Saraki over a 13 count charge bordering on false assets declaration while he was governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011.

Recall that shortly after the EFCC grilled Saraki’s wife, Toyin, over allegations of corruption, the red chamber commenced the probe of the then EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde. The sack of Lamorde weeks ago has left the Senate’s investigation on him hanging.

In the petition signed by Ajuso I. Ajuso on behalf of the group’s executive secretary, the CCT chairman is accused of financial impropriety, misuse of office and disregard of due process.

“We are very saddened to report that the CCT is infested with a despicable and deplorable level of corruption. To be precise, the chairman of the tribunal, Mr. Danladi Umar, has been engaging in dishonest, unscrupulous and discreditable conduct,” the group said.

“We rely on the following facts to show that Mr. Umar has committed substantial financial impropriety, misuse of office and disregard for due process,” it added.

It alleged that the CCT boss approved the sum of N4.2 million for the replacement of external security lights (bulbs) for the premises of the CCT and that he also removed the sum of N1 million from the tribunal’s coffers for his marriage in 2011.

According to the group, Umar had also in March 2011, awarded “fictitious contract for the supply of office furniture in the sum of N11.4 million to Luminous Engineering Services, one of the companies he frequently uses for fictitious contracts.”

The Anti-Corruption Network further alleged that the CCT chairman awarded contract for the purchase of a Sports Utility Van at the cost of N15.2 million without recourse to due process.

“We have written this petition because we strongly believe that the Senate will take this matter seriously and carry out an investigation into all the allegations raised. We make bold to say that the financial impropriety of the CCT chairman is not limited to those listed. He continues to perpetrate corruption and abuse of office,” the group alleged.

On Tuesday, there was a mild drama on the floor as Saraki deftly blocked Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC, Zamfara Central) from raising issues on the probe of Umar.

Marafa hinged his reservation on Orders 41(4), 41(5), 41(7), 53 and 74 of the Senate rules, but Saraki ruled him out of order, saying the petition didn’t violate Senate rules.

Insisting on making his opinion known, Marafa addressed a press conference after the plenary, where he alleged that the Senate under Saraki lacks the morality to probe the CCT chairman. 

“Saraki is becoming more and more desperate these days, he ruled me out of order on only one of the six orders I raised. This is open tyranny and the consequences of this will not be good,” the Zamfara senator said. “We don’t need any lawyers to know clearly that Saraki is an interested party in any case that has to do with the CCT boss because he is standing trial at the tribunal.”

Marafa added that: “There is an interest in the petition that was why it was accepted and I think the Senate should not be dragged into problems of individuals. Since Saraki is standing trial before the tribunal, the common law demands that the Senate cannot entertain the petition because he cannot be judge in his own matter.”

He said findings at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) showed that Senator Dino Melaye, a diehard supporter of Saraki, is the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Network, the group that wrote the petition against Umar.

On the application form for the incorporation of the Anti-Corruption Network obtained from Marafa, the name and photograph of Melaye were seen on it.

In the form obtained from the CAC, Melaye was the number two on the list of the group’s trustees. Others on the list are Professor Femi Odekunle, Hon. Independence Ogunewe, Professor Ngozi Osarenren, Senator Yakubu Lame and a former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa. 

Efforts to get Melaye’s reaction on the claim that he is the group’s executive director yielded no result as he didn’t pick his calls or replied the SMS sent to him. 

Melaye is a staunch supporter of Saraki, he seconded the nomination of Saraki as the Senate president during the inauguration of the upper chamber on June 9 this year. 

But in an interview, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition, Samuel Anyanwu, said his committee would not do the bidding of Saraki on Umar’s case.

He said the fact that the petition came at a time Saraki was standing trial at the CCT would not stop the committee from carrying out its constitutional responsibility creditably.

“I want to say that I am not doing anybody’s bidding. I have the capacity and I make researches and I have time for fact-finding and come out with a position. Why should Saraki use me to do his bidding? Why would Saraki use any senator to do his bidding?” He queried. “He is my colleague; he is just the Senate president, one among equals. He was elected by his constituents and my constituents brought me here. So, it is not about doing Saraki’s bidding.” 

Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/politics/senate-probe-is-saraki-trying-to-get-back-at-cct-boss/121690.html#YZuw5mtDR3GRja96.99