False Assets Declaration: Nigerians speak on Saraki’s CCT retrial-VOXPOP

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja recently gave the Federal Government the nod to re-open the case it entered against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT. The court reversed Saraki’s acquittal of false assets declaration charges and ordered him to return to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for the continuation of his trial. TOPE SUNDAY speaks with some Nigerians who express mixed reactions over the judgment.

Reversing Saraki to CCT, waste of tax payers’ money
One would have expected that the Appeal court will assume jurisdiction and seat on the case rather than returning it to the Code of Conduct Tribunal. This is a shear waste of tax payers’ money, going back to the CCT means more drama are still on the way like appeal and counter appeals as it was witnessed in the first instance. The judgment of the Court of Appeal is a welcome development because I wasn’t very happy when Mr. Danladi Umar of the CCT dismissed the case without dissecting the weighty evidences. It would have been better if Saraki was cleared of all charges, but striking the case out based on technicalities is a disservice to the famed anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration. I’ll however implore the accused to face the prosecution rather than trying to thwart the case through technicalities. This is the only way he can prove his innocence and regain the trust of an average Nigerian.
Comrade Abdulrasheed Akogun – Journalist

He should defend himself now
We at the Kwara Must Change welcome the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which ordered the Senate President, Bukola Saraki back to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to enter his defense on three criminal charges and account for his false asset declaration.
We are convinced that the undeclared assets were probably bought with looted funds from Kwara State treasury and we look forward to diligent prosecution of those three charges and the safe return of the property to its rightful owners.
We recall that when Justice Danladi Umar led CCT upheld the no case submission of Mr Saraki and dismissed the 18 count charges months ago, Kwara Must Change was one of the groups that appealed to the Federal Government to appeal the judgement in the interest of justice, which they did to wide jubilation among Kwarans. However, with the judgement of the Appeal Court which ordered the defendant back to the CCT to enter his defense on three criminal charges bordering on false asset declaration, Kwara Must Change has been vindicated. We hereby hope that Mr Saraki would take this opportunity to defend himself properly rather than running from pillar to post in search of short cut.
Although, we are concerned that the Court of Appeal did not find merit in the account statement of the defendant, which clearly showed that he has continued to receive salaries as governor for more than four years after leaving office. To dismiss this weighty allegation simply because the Kwara State government failed to stand as witness is to us very unfortunate.
We make bold to say that, those following the trend of events in Kwara State are not in doubt that whatever atrocity the Senate President is alleged to have committed were done with active support of the Kwara State government, which made them accomplice to the crime. To now dismiss those weighty charges despite evidences, simply because an accomplice refused to stand as witness is to say the least, unfortunate. But we strongly believe that no sinner will go unpunished.
Additionally, it is widely circulated all across Kwara that the state government dipped its dirty hands into the state treasury to bank roll the legal fee of Mr. Saraki, including the hiring of 90 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) during the CCT first trial.
Let it be known that Kwarans are not giving up hope on justice. Even though we know there are bad eggs in the judiciary who give judgement in return for cash as recently proven by relevant agencies including National Bureau of Statistics, we still believe there are men of integrity in the judiciary who will uphold justice at all cost. We are therefore hopeful that irrespective of the attempted manipulation of the judiciary to subvert justice in favor of the accused, justice shall eventually prevail.
Comrade Abdulrazaq O Hamzat – President, Kwara Must Change

It may make or mar Saraki’s political career
His reversal to the CCT could be vilification and the other way round if I’m to base my view on the country we found ourselves. Nigeria is a country where politics dictates judgement. On a neutral base, I would say throwing away 15 out of 18 count charges is vindictive. You can imagine a child that sat for nine subjects in an examination having six passes but three fails, are we to say such a child has failed or passed. The case may be to his favour at the end of the trial at the tribunal. However, if it is to be politically moderated, then his political moves will determine where his prosecutors with the aid of the judiciary will throw the case. It’s either the case is thrown to the coffin or the political career of senator Saraki thrown to the coffin.
Rildanullahi Oniye – University of llorin Lecturer

It’s an opportunity to defend himself
I don’t think it’s an attempt to cage him. Our legal system terminates at the Supreme Court. Every litigant has the right to go all the way. In this case, both Dr. Saraki and the Federal Government can appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. As a matter of fact, people said the initial trial will make his Senate presidency untenable. But he survived. So how does a trial which has been cut from 15 counts to three amounts to anything to be worried about? His lawyers know what to do. This is a further opportunity for him to prove his innocence once and for all.
Uche Nnadoze – Journalist

It’s another distraction
I can see another issue that will knowingly or unknowingly divert the attentions of Nigerians away from attention-demanding issues for a jiff.
The sending back of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki to the CCT will rekindle the faith and repose confidence of Nigerians in the nation’s judiciary.
I am not a Lawyer, but the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) chaired by Mr. Danladi Umar, which discharged and acquitted Saraki on the 14th of July this year over allegations of false assets declaration on ground that the prosecution failed to prove its case is questionable.
The ruling of the CCT dashed the hope of some Nigerians who had expected that the Senate President will be found guilty of a few of the charges preferred against him. But in my own opinion, maybe nothing will come out of the remaining three count charges preferred against him now at the CCT.
A new acquittal from the remaining three count charges will boost the morale of the Senate President and his supporters, who will celebrate his victory to the high heavens.
Comrade Haruna Usman – Graduate

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