The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, has called on Dr. Bukola Saraki to resign as the Senate President. This call was provoked by the latest revelations from the ‘Panama Papers’ leaks about assets confirmed to be proceeds of corruption belonging to the Saraki family.
The call came via a statement signed by Wale Salami, CACOL ‘s media coordinator.
The statement quoted Mr. Debo Adeniran, Executive Chairman of CACOL, as saying that Saraki became the Senate President in controversial circumstances and was well known for running publicly-owned businesses bankrupt.
“Someone with a poor reputation such as his isn’t fit to be called or be elected as a Senator not even to talk of becoming the Senate President.
“With such a background and considering that he oscillates between sitting in the criminal suspects’ box in the Code of Conduct Tribunal as a criminal suspect and sitting as President of the Senate in the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly as the President of the Senate doubling as the Chairman of the National Assembly, the situation becomes an aberration and makes Saraki a misfit to occupy a seat in the Nigerian Senate in the first place and unfit to continue to occupy the exalted position of the Senate Presidency,’’ Adeniran said.
Adeniran added that Saraki’s lies about his declaration of assets has sufficiently proven that he lacks the credibility required for the office he occupies and he should have been a subject of impeachment now. “His impeachment processes should have started long before now, so it is better for him to resign now.
“Should he refuse to resign, the Senate must wield the big stick by commencing his impeachment process immediately.’’ he contended.
According to CACOL, the Saraki family is obscenely wealthy, having used its hold on political power, especially in Kwara State to amass wealth and corner government properties and other assets. “Since 1999 up to this present moment, all the governors have either come from the Saraki family or imposed by the Saraki family, leaving no chance for other people to be elected,’’ explained Adeniran, who also demanded that Saraki’s trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal must not be truncated under any guise. Also, Adeniran demanded the investigation and prosecution of his wife, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, who he said has always been used as a conduit to siphon public funds for the private use of the Sarakis.
The CACOL Chairman also called for wider investigations into disclosures coming from the Panama Paper Leaks. said “With revelations from the ‘Panama Papers’, the Federal Government and the anti-corruption agencies should swing into action with the view of investigating, prosecuting and recovering of the loot while applying necessary punitive measures where culpability is established. And this is not just about Saraki; it must include all other Nigerians mentioned in the ‘leaks’ like Mr. David Mark and others.’’
