Politics:Resign now, labour unions tell Saraki

Firstclass newsline gathered that Nigerian workers, under the
umbrellas of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union
Congress, have asked the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola
Saraki, to vacate his office pending the determination of his case at
the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The workers, who spoke across the country, said although Saraki is
still on trial and has not been found guilty of the allegations
against him, it is morally right for him to vacate his office as
Senate President to defend himself.
The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation is prosecuting
Saraki for alleged false declaration of his assets at the Code of
Conduct Bureau.
Saraki had, last Tuesday, stepped into the dock at the CCT in Abuja,
where he was arraigned for false assets declaration charges.
He pleaded not guilty to all the 13 charges slammed on him by the CCB
and his trial has been scheduled to hold on October 21, 22 and 23.
Leaders of the NLC and the TUC, who spoke to on Saturday a source ,
said it had become necessary for Saraki to step aside from Senate
presidency to answer the charges preferred against him.
Organised labour had on, September 10, 2015, held nationwide protests
against corruption, while seeking death penalty for public treasury
looters.
Labour said it was only by killing looters that the anti-corruption
crusade being championed by President Muhammadu Buhari could succeed.
President of the TUC, Mr. Bobboi Bala, in an interview with one of our
correspondents, said Saraki has a moral burden to resign.
He said, "Resignation is a moral burden on people. But if somebody
feels that he will carry his cross, go to the courts and try to
exonerate himself, he should be given the opportunity. But it would be
too bad if at the end of the day, he is found guilty. It does not
speak well of public office holders.
"In other climes, as soon as such things happen, people tender their
letters of resignation. Obviously, it is a moral burden on him. We
hope all politicians will begin to know that no matter how highly
placed they are, one day, they will definitely have to account for
their stewardship."
Several chapters of the NLC and the TUC across the states also asked
for Saraki's resignation on Saturday.
The Chairman, TUC, Ogun State, Mr. Olubunmi Fajobi, told a source that
if it were in a civilised clime, the Senate President would have
stepped aside to allow for free and fair trial.
He said, "As it were, the Senate President is sitting on a delicate
seat. If it were a civilised society, he would have stepped aside to
allow for a fair trial, so that he won't allow his official position
to influence the decision of the tribunal."
Also, the Ekiti State Chairman of the NLC, Mr. Raymond Adesanmi,
advised Saraki to step down from office.
He said, "If it were in other climes, he would have resigned. My
advice for him would be to step down as the Senate President to answer
the charges against him. If at the end of the day he is not found
guilty, he could return to his position."
Adesanmi's TUC counterpart in Ekiti, Mr. Adesoye Adedayo, corroborated him.
He said, "Although the case against him has political undertone, I
would advise him to resign to prove his innocence."
In Cross River State, the Chairman of the TUC, Mr. Clarkson Otu, who
noted that labour unions had yet to meet to take a definite position
on Saraki's trial, said the Senate President should resign his
position.
He said, "This whole thing is politics. The said irregularities
allegedly discovered in Sariki's assets declaration are issues before
the CCT, but having got himself involved in this controversy, he
should quit as senate president based on moral grounds.
"If he does not quit, he will keep battling to retain that position.
This is my personal view and not that of the TUC."
The factional Chairman of the NLC in Delta State, Mr. Williams
Akporeha, the state chapter of the union was in support of Saraki's
resignation.
"We are saying that he should step aside because he is facing trial
that borders on allegations of fraud and misinformation. He should
resign on a clean slate instead of his continued stay in office in
shameless aberration," he said.
In the same vein, Chairman of the TUC in Delta, Mr. Myke Arinze, said,
"Senator Saraki should resign and set the record straight because he
cannot be facing trial and be dictating as Senate President."
CNPP, CODER, SERAP, others ask Senate President to quit
Second Republic Governor of old Kaduna State and Chairman of the
Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Mr. Balarabe Musa, in an
interview witha source on Saturday, also urged Saraki to step down as
Senate President as a show of respect for his office.
Musa said, "First of all, it depends on his conscience. If he knows
that the allegations against him have anything bordering on
genuineness and if he knows that he has not done anything above board,
he should succumb to his conscience.
"In honour of the institution he represents, it is therefore best for
him to resign in order not to undermine the position of the judge.
"If he knows that there are elements of truth in the allegations
against him, he should not cost the government so much in court and
thereby undermine the integrity of the bench; he should just resign.
He is still young; he still has a lot of opportunities."
Also, the Coalition against Corrupt Leaders called for Saraki's resignation.
The Executive Chairman, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said, "He should
resign for now. If he is found to be innocent, then Nigerians would
have reason to apologise to him and his dignity will be restored. If
he continues to hold on to power, he is likely to lose more dignity;
nobody will respect him for doing so."
Similarly, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project
described Nigeria as a peculiar place, where issues of probity,
integrity and adherence to the rule of law would be questioned and
politicians would continue to remain in public office "as if those
things don't matter."
According to the Executive Director of SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, in
saner climes, when public figures would have such burden on them, the
first thing to do would be to get off the seat to clear their name by
virtue of the rule of law and due process.
Mumuni said, "If people are saying he should resign, I also support
that move because as the number three man in Nigeria, he has not set a
very good example. It is not a question of 'If I was not declared
senate president, nobody will remember what I did 10 years ago.' Why
didn't he declare his assets when he was governor?
"If we are talking about equity, then we must be able to come to
equity with clean hands. That is the way I see it. I have never been a
subscriber to the idea of witch-hunting. Why can't they just follow
the law? The question of witch-hunting, to me, is neither here nor
there. Did they comply with the law? I don't believe in the idea that
they have enemies somewhere.
"Why shouldn't we do what is needful and proper and we now start
talking about witch-hunting? Matters of criminal infraction don't have
limitations. I have never seen a defence to an infraction of law where
one would say, 'Some people were not dealt with, so I cannot be dealt
with.'"
Also, the Convener, Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics,
Professionals and Businessmen, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, faulted those who
call Saraki's trial a witch-hunt. He said the Senate President should
resign.
He said, "I believe it will be good for the Senate and the country –
for political responsibility – for Bukola Saraki to resign. Unless
that is done, his political influence will interfere in the process."
In the same vein, the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform said
even though Saraki remained innocent until the tribunal finds him
guilty, it had become morally necessary for the Senate President to
resign from office.
Convener of CODER, Chief Ayo Opadokun, who was the General Secretary
of the National Democratic Coalition and an ex-Secretary-General of
the Afenifere, said it was not possible for all lawbreakers in the
country to be tried at once. He said, "They have to be picked one by
one."
He said although other lawmakers in the National Assembly might have
committed similar offences on assets declaration, Saraki's trial would
serve as a good lesson to others.
Opadokun said, "Saraki's trial has more fundamental dimension because
of the fact that someone crookedly emerged as leader of the Nigerian
legislature and he has been charged for false declaration (of assets),
which is a criminal offence and which carries significant punishment
fashioned by the Nigerian criminal law system.
"He should resign to face the charges against him. He should have
resigned long ago."
Firstclassnewsline.net