The Saraki objection and Code of Conduct Tribunal, a rejoinderBy Carole Ajie
Sir: It was not necessary to lampoon SP-B Saraki’s Counsel to the extent of questioning his professional integrity and decisions he took, his client’s case in all the courts where the various matters are pending in particular the Federal High Court where motions were filed to halt the trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the Court of Appeal where he had appealed the ruling of CCT of Friday 18th Sept., instant.
For a thorough understanding of the issues, you referred pundits to s251(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 which defines the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
Sir, s251(1)(p) and (q) probably skipped your scrutiny because those sub-paragraphs grant access to the FHC of high and low income cadre citizens to approach FHC where challenging the operation or administration or management of any agency of the Federal Government. Essentially, they had and still do query the conduct of the code of conduct bureau – because it inter alia failed to call SP’s attention to the discrepancies they allegedly found in his assets declaration forms in 2003 or whatever years and without seeking clarifications as required by the Constitution, of investigations, they rushed to CCT to file charges with a view to embarrassing his exalted office to humiliate his person for reasons that are political as admitted by APC Joe Igbokwe in the Vanguard newspaper that he must be punished because he was not politically correct in defending legislative independence and in upstaging APC’s zoning formula to allow others be SP. And I asked. Was Speaker Tambuwal punished in 2011 for the same reason of being “politically incorrect”? He did trump favoured female Lawyer Ms Mulikat Akande for Speaker.
Hon Justice Mohammed of the FHC Abuja had adjourned to Tuesday 29th Sept , was not minded to taking interlocutory applications and on Wednesday 30th Sept the Court of Appeal is slated to sit. As these matters are alive, we should respect our courts and show restraint somewhat in our writings in a manner that would not denigrate the courts or be read to contemptuously dictate results to both HCJ and JJCA. Beyond general comments for public interest purposes, commentators had been advised by the Supreme Court to desist from writing court judgments; no matter the temptation to the Asiwajus.
With respect to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and powers of officers, non-AGF to prosecute, as we do not have an AGF. Do we not have lawyers here eligible for the office including Prof Sagay SAN, Chair, PACAC and as President Buhari is not in a hurry to appoint AGF, almost half a year since Mr president was elected, do we ask DC to name an AGF for us; or call on PMB to appoint one? You chose rather to chastise defence counsel for questioning the right of CCB Prosecutor, when a similar defence pattern was copiously, consciously explored by Asiwaju Awomolo in FRN vs- Speaker Bankole.
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Respectfully submitted,
Attorney Carole Ajie