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CSOs seek re-opening of old corruption cases against 15 former governors

By Charles Ogugbuaja (who was in Enugu)
14 May 2016   |   3:16 am
This was the resolution at arrived at a strategic stakeholders meeting attended by members of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the media, lawyers and others in Enugu.
PHOTO: GOOGLE.COM/SEARCH

PHOTO: GOOGLE.COM/SEARCH

To give a bite to the ongoing anti-corruption fight, government needs open up pending corruption cases hanging in the law courts.

This was the resolution at arrived at a strategic stakeholders meeting attended by members of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the media, lawyers and others in Enugu.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the National Programme Manager of Justice for All (J4A), Dr Bob Arnot, urged the Federal Government, through its anti- graft agencies, to show much commitment in the fight against corruption by re- opening alleged corruption cases pending in courts since 2006 against 15 ex- governors, five ex- senators, and ex- members of the House of Representatives, four ex- ministers, among others.

Represented by the Programme Manager of the organisation, Emma Uche, Arnot said the conference was necessary in stimulating the need to resolve the pending corruption related cases in courts and agencies against former and serving public office holders, adding that such informed the roundtable meeting organised by the J4A in collaboration with the Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR), with the sponsorship of the British Council.

Arnot said it was improper for attention to be paid only to new corruption-related cases, while abandoning the N1.354 trillion alleged looted cases that have been ongoing since 2006 against the former leaders. According to him, while dragnets should be strengthened to catch other corrupt persons in the country, the various prosecutors to the pending cases should liaise with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to collaborate with the concerned judges to re- open the cases and handle them expeditiously.

While emphasizing the need for the media, CSO’s and others to jointly use various channels to demand the speedy trial of the cases, Arnot mentioned some of the pending cases to include those involving the present governor of Ekiti state, Ayo Fayose; former governor of Jigawa state, Saminu Turaki; former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu; former governor of Taraba State, Rev Jolly Nyame; former governor of Enugu State, Chimaraoke Nnamani; former governor of Plateau State, Michael Botman; former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna and former governor of Nasarawa State, Adamu Abdulahi. Others unresolved cases, he stated, include that of the former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa; ex-governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, ex- governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje, former governor of Kogi State, the late Abubakar Audu and ex- governor of Oyo State, Alao Akala, a former Senate committee Chairman on Health, Dr Iyabo Obasanjo Bello; former House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan, among others in private and public sectors.

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