BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – A Civil Rights Advocacy group on the aegis of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the widespread accusations of massive corruptions trailing the activities of high profile cabinet Ministers and heads of parastatsls under President Muhammadu Buhari.
HURIWA pointedly urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The Rights group noted that Malami has been unable to sufficiently debunk the information that his son had an extensively lawless social event thereby violating the Quarantine Act of 1926 which gives the President the power to impose certain restrictions on the number of people to attend a social or religious gathering during the period of the pandemic.
However, HURIWA averred that the son of the Minister of Justice, who is the Chief law officer of Nigeria, flagrantly violated an extant law invoked by the President.
The Rights group said that the only remedy for the President not to sack Malami as the Chief law officer, is for him (Malami) to provide forensic evidences to contradict the newspaper reports and the avalanches of recorded videos trending on respectable Social media including Saharareporters. HURIWA noted that it is clear that the Malami cannot sufficiently convince rational thinking Nigerians that the series of photographic evidences tendered and circulated by the media of mass communication are not the accurate reflection of what transpired.
It further said; “Besides, at the wedding, there was a violation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s law prohibiting the defacing of Naira notes and other currencies and bans the spreading of Naira notes because there were abundance of evidence that such a huge disobedience of the law took place and if such will happen in an event of the family of the Federal Attorney General and minister of justice, it therefore means that we have a lawless AGF if the media evidence is anything to go by”.
HURIWA also said that another ground for Malami’s resignation is his failure to provide supervisory responsibility on the EFCC Administration headed by Ibrahim Magu who allegedly committed financial atrocities while as supervisor, Malami was unable to detect this unprofessional conduct for good five years.
The Rights group also called on the EFCC to carry out proper investigation on the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio just as it demanded his immediate sack except if President Buhari does not care about the people Of Niger Delta.
HURIWA noted that since Godswill Akpabio became a minister, there have been one accusation of fraud/corruption or the other.
HURIWA said; “In NDDC alone, in about three months, 80 billion naira disappeared allegedly into thin air.
“HURIWA is not accusing him of being the thief but the story of corruption around him is becoming unbecoming as if he is the only minister in Nigeria.
Another worrisome reason is the sexual harassment allegation made against him by the immediate past MD of NDDC, Joi Nunieh.
“Akpabio needs to go so that he will not use his office to encumber police investigation. And why is the IGP Mohammed Adamu suddenly deaf and dumb over Godswill Akpabio’s sexual harassment allegation and was too fast to demand for D’banj’s arrest over similar allegation?
“The IGP should invite Godswill Akpabio to give his own side of the story on the damaging sexual harassment claim made by a former officer who served under his supervision”.
HURIWA said that it is therefore calling for the sack of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC to be able to face investigation by the EFCC and if found wanting, to be prosecuted.
