The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL has called on Mr. Bukola Saraki to tow the path of honour by resigning as the President of the Nigerian Senate. This is following the latest revelations from the ‘Panama Papers’ leaks about assets confirmed to be proceeds of corruption belonging to the Saraki Dynasty.
The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, reacting to the ‘Panama Papers’ revelations said that “before becoming the Senate President, a position which he assumed via very controversial means; Sarakiwas known for running publicly-owned businesses bankrupt and 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 theSenate 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.’’
Mr. Adeniran went further to say that ‘’the fact that Saraki lied about his declaration of assets is enoughproof for everyone that he is not a credible person, 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. For it is absurd for someone who sits high at the throne of the law making guild in Nigeria to discredit himself so much in the eyes of the public and thereby tarnishing the image of the country among the comity of Nations.’’
CACOL is aware, and actually, it is public knowledge that the Saraki dynasty have been clinching on to power especially in Kwara state, power which the family have used to amass stupendous wealth over time.The Saraki family have been in government for so long and they have had unlimited access to government funds, properties and other assets, in Kwara state, 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.’’
CACOL demands that the trail of Mr. Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal must not be truncated under any guise; his case must be pursued to logical conclusions, his wife, Mrs. Toyin Saraki who has always been used as conduit to siphon public funds for the private use of the Sarakis must also be investigated and prosecuted.
In concluding, CACOL’s Chairman, said that “with revelations from the ‘Panama Papers’, the Federal Government and the anti-corruption agencies should swing into action with the view ofinvestigating, prosecuting and recovering ofthe loots whileapplying necessary punitive 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.’’
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