 |
| Dr. Bukola Saraki. |
Former Senate president and Board
Chair,the Africa Politeia Institute (TAPI), Dr. Olusola Saraki has applauded
the Federal High Court, Lagos which dismissed in totality, the application of
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that sought forfeiture
order on his Ilorin home in Kwara State.
The former governor of Kwara State expressed
happiness that the court, presided over by Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa specifically
ruled that there was no evidence that the property was built with any illicit
or stolen funds from Kwara State Government or any other institution or
quarter, whatsoever.
A statement personally signed by Dr.
Saraki reads:
1. Today, as always, I thank Almighty
Allah as I welcome the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, by the
Honorable Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa in which the court dismissed in its totality
the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for
forfeiture order on my home at Ilorin, Kwara State. I am particularly happy
that the court specifically ruled that there was no evidence that the property
was built with any illicit or stolen funds from Kwara State Government or any
other institution or quarter, whatsoever.
2. The last five years have been very
challenging for me and my family. I have endured and defeated one false
allegation and malicious litigation after another, in an ill-motivated
persecution, intimidation and harassment, through which some vested interests
sought to damage my name and label me with charges of corruption but with the
grace of Allah, I have always been victorious. I thank God for the outcome of
this case which is the fifth victory in cases in which the EFCC was either the
main investigating agency or the plaintiff.
It is obvious that the EFCC leadership
under its erstwhile acting chair, Mr. Ibrahim Mustapha Magu decided to take the
issue of his non-confirmation by the 8th Senate which I led, personally.
However, I know that the Senate under my leadership only followed the due and
normal procedure during the confirmation process and we never executed any
personal agenda against Magu. The records of the Senate during the period is
there for the perusal of all Nigerians interested in the truth.
I hope that with the outcome of
today’s case, the EFCC should learn that a serious issue like the fight against
corruption should not be reduced to a forum-shopping means to execute personal
vendetta or prosecute parochial agenda. Fighting corruption and combating
economic crime requires stakeholders to eschew coercion while employing upright
diligence, due process, fairness, equity and broad mindedness in dealing with
all cases and persons.
The deployment of a state institution
to fight personal and partisan battle, particularly with the use of the mass
and social media as championed by the EFCC was aimed at inflicting damages to
my name, reputation and elective public service record, through a targeted
misinformation and disinformation campaign of calumny, also directed at
intimidating the judiciary. It was directed at giving the wrong impression
about me. As I record yet another vindication by the competent court of law,
God’s willing, my focus will now shift to more serious issues.
6. It is the grace of Allah and the
support of my family that saw me through these past trying years. My family
members have withstood with courage, candor, resilience and grace the war of
attrition which was also directed at them. I thank all of them. Let me also
express appreciation to my supporters across the country, particularly those in
Kwara State, my colleagues in the Eighth Senate, my friends, associates and
lawyers for standing by me all through the period of the travails.
7. It is important to put it on record
that I hold no grudge against any individual for their roles in my trials. My
experience in the last five years has only strengthen my faith in Almighty
Allah, the Nigerian nation and her judiciary which has always risen above the
din to give justice at all times and in all situation. Definitely, I remain
unflinching in my belief that we need to build a functional society which
creates the right atmosphere for all to aspire to be whatever positive they
desire.
At this point, let me strongly express
my support for the anti-corruption war and the institutions created to
prosecute this war. My antecedents show that I have always sponsored and backed
initiatives in this direction. I was part of the team that initiated the
enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and Public Procurement Act under the
Obasanjo administration. As Governor of Kwara State, my government was the
first state to introduce the Price Intelligence Unit and was also the first
state to submit our financial process for rating by Fitch, the global rating
agency. As a member of the 7th Senate, I sponsored the motion which exposed the
monumental fraud in the fuel subsidy payment while the 8th Senate under my
leadership passed five different bills aimed at strengthening the fight against
corruption, particularly the law that created the National Financial
Intelligence Agency (NFIA).
With today’s decision of the Court, it
is my expectation that the EFCC which has played significant roles in the
various court cases against me from the CCT to Supreme Court and back at the
Federal High Court, with the consequent media trial and malicious campaigns,
will now leave me alone to live my life, and enjoy my unfettered rights to
freedom of thought, expression, association, occupation and dignity, as a
private citizen and focus on serious issues of national development.
Thank you, all.
Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki
Former President of the Senate and
Board Chair,
The Africa Politeia Institute, TAPI.
No comments:
Post a Comment