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Kwara group seeks Buhari’s intervention in trial of Saraki

By Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin.
22 September 2015   |   4:43 am
A political movement in Kwara State ‘Maja Elders Forum’ (MEF) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently intervene in the current travail of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki who is being prosecuted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of assets when he was governor of the state.
Saraki

Saraki

A political movement in Kwara State ‘Maja Elders Forum’ (MEF) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently intervene in the current travail of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki who is being prosecuted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of assets when he was governor of the state.

MEF in a statement by its coordinator, Alhaji Kayode Yusuf said the trial of Saraki, which he described as witch hunting, should be halted in the interest of peace in the polity.

Already, MEF had appealed to the Northern Union (NU) and the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), the two bodies, Saraki’s biological father Olusola Saraki had brought into prominence in the nation’s socio political landscape, to show concern in the junior Saraki’s trial.

The statement titled, ‘Save Bukola Saraki’s Life: A Passionate Appeal to President Buhari,’ the group was of the view that the recent invitation of Saraki’s wife Oluwatoyin by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and his current prosecution by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) could not be divorced from the rising political profile of the former Kwara State governor.

In the statement, Alhaji Yusuf said, “We want to use this forum to appreciate God for the life of our political leader here in Kwara Dr Bukola Saraki. Besides, we are grateful for the emergence of our visionary President Muhammadu Buhari who we massively voted for here in Kwara on the instruction of our leader.

“But we are taken aback by the recent developments in the nation’s political circle where Saraki seems to be the only politician that should be investigated by the anti graft agencies in Nigeria. We are not opposed to anti corruption crusades of President Buhari but what we don’t understand is that why should the searchlight be beamed only on our leader to the exclusion of others?

“We want Mr. President to use his good offices to call the operators of these anti-graft bodies to order in the interest of peace. Saraki was not the first Senate Leader and would not be the last in Nigerian history. They should not send him to his early graves. His father played well his role not only in Kwaran politics but that of the whole nation.

“He (Saraki’s father) founded the NU and played active parts in stabilising the MBF during his years here on earth. We should not bring down the shining light in Nigerian politics just because someone does not want to see his face. President Buhari should not keep mute on Saraki’s un-just persecution.”

8 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    The Guardian newspapers is sinking and sinking. It is sad that this is the type of news your editor could give prominence to. It tells where we have all fallen.

  • Author’s gravatar

    THE GROUP THAT IS SEEKING THE INTERVENTION OF THE PRESIDENT SHOULD KNOW THAT THE ERA OF BRIBIRI IS GONE IF THEY KNOW WHAT THAT WORD.IF ANY BODY IS PREPARING TO POLUTE THE CHANGE WE NIGERIAN SUN DRY OURSELVES TO EFFECT,SUCH A PERSON SHOULD BE READY FOR MAN HUNT.NOT ONLY WITHCH HUNCH.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Let everybody carry his or her CROSS, the era of godfather-ism in the FEDERAL level is dead,stop stealing and do your job.

  • Author’s gravatar

    ONLY IN NIGERIA, HOW ON EARTH CAN THIS PEOPLE BE CALLING FOR PRESIDENT BUHARI ON A ALLEGED CRIME . THIS IS SHAME. EVERY MEMBER OF THIS GROUP SHOULD BE QUESTION OR INVESTIGATED..

  • Author’s gravatar

    Kwara was not able to reform the wily Saraki jnr. Some say there are people who relate to him like a false prophet…it is that pathetic, and he lords it over them…we read that people would sit from 50 yards and crawl into his presence literally and he encourages such physically even as he does whatever he likes with the commonwealth of Kwara State.. Now that the effect of his actions are blowing back on his face, what can Buhari or any other person do? These folks are asking President Buhari to commit political suicide and accept that corruption should kill Nigeria, just to save Saraki from himself – not possible…the institutions would work, CCB, ICPC, EFCC and all would do their work without interference….I’d advice Kwara to start preparing another person to replace Saraki at the senate, that person MUST be in the mold of Tunde Idiagbon (the other national brand from Kwara that we all can love for his integrity and public service)

    Some things we learnt from the days proceedings are:

    1 – That Saraki is a rice farmer/merchant, and a very wealthy one at that to the point where he made a profit of about half-a-billion naira in 2003 that he bought a landed property with in 2006.

    2 – That Saraki is clairvoyant. To the PDP apologist, a witch. Hence the term witch hunting i svery appropriate. Why because he declared a property in 2003 that he was sure he bought already, even as the actual purchase was in 2006 from the federal government (N100m less than how much he declared in 2003) using his proceeds from rice farming.

    3 – That Saraki’s witchcraft – taking liberty with PDP charge and his charge of witch hunting – has no time for declaring other properties he clearly owns in Ikoyi and Abuja.

    4 – That the endless and fruitless pursuit of white collar criminals due to using interlocutory injunction to frustrate the main charges was sunset by former president Jonathan – as a parting gift to his PDPlutocratic traducers, in March 2015 -..as reported in premium times “”On jurisdiction, the prosecution counsel argued that according to section 2 of the Administration of Justice Act, 2015, the matter could be heard alongside any preliminary objection regarding the tribunal’s jurisdiction.
    The new law was signed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in March 2015, as part of a major reform of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”

    In conclusion, since we are not running a country of witches and wizards, we normal people based on our law would definitely seek to convert him to one of us. We support CCB in saving Saraki from the world of witches for his own sake, that of his family and all of us – for he is such a jolly good fellow! …and other witches, currently living in alternative paradise would be hunted and converted to live with us as well.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Fellow Nigerians……………In the developed world and particularly in the U.S. where our system of government is taken after, according to the Yoruba adage…….the pounded yam of 40 years is still very hot oooooo! Nothing that is swept under the carpet every go unnoticed for ever. One day will be one day and that day has come for Saraki. This is not a matter of witch hunting. Because our past Heads of State weren’t transparent, that’s why we’re where we’re today. Our # 3 citizen must be very transparent past, present and future if he really wants to lead. Please tell the people of Kwara State that “it is not business as usual”. Societe Generale was ran aground; we cannot afford the Senate to go the same route!!!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Are the people in Kwara state dumm, how president will intervene in case involving thief Saraki, this is a court case, let him go there to defend himself if he has nothing to hide, president should not intervene in any judiciary cases. There is a new sheriff in town called Buhari, the old style of governing are all gone, this is a new era of governing and everyone should get use to it this help in turning country around

  • Author’s gravatar

    The constitutional concept of separation of powers BARS the executive arm of the government from interfering with the judiciary. Saraki is NOT the only politician that will face prosecution. There are many other politicians who will soon be having their days in court to answer for LOOTING!