Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and frontline civil society organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of the Coalition Of National Civil Society Organizations Against Inept Leaders, have sounded a note of caution against undermining the ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption against Betta Edu and Sadiya Umar-Farouq, embattled former and suspended ministers of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, now Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
In a statement signed by the CNPP's Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, and the National Secretary of the coalition of Nigeria civil society organizations, Alhaji Ali Abacha, they also called “for investigation of the Judges of the Court of Appeal who masterminded the miscarriage of justice in the legislative election appeals to determine if the Judges soiled their hands to stand justice on the head.”
While former minister Umar-Farouq is under investigation at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for over N37 billion corruption allegations, Betta Edu was recently suspended by President Tinubu after a week of deafening accusations of financial misconduct against her to the tune of N585 million.
The groups noted that they have “watched with kin interest how some CSOs have engaged in pro- and anti- investigation of corrupt leaders.”
Decrying what they called “the obvious move by interested civil society groups to undo each other in defence and against the ongoing investigation of the rot in the corruption allegations against public officials, a development that is capable of undermining the ongoing process.
“We, therefore, call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that justice is done and that anyone found wanting in the allegations of corruption in the Humanitarian Ministry is diligently prosecuted.
“We equally call for public probe of all Appeal of Court judges involved in the judgment that removed both elected governors and legislators in the 2023 general elections contrary to the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“The miscarriage of justice meted against validly elected National and State Assembly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) in Plateau, Enugu, Abia and other states who have been unjustly removed from their legitimate seats by the Court of Appeal contrary to earlier decided and settled cases by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“While we await whatever remedy that is open for the victims of the Court of Appeal's miscarriage of justice, if any, we call for immediate probe of all the affected judges to determine if they were induced financially or otherwise.
“An open investigation and adequate discipline of judges, who are found wanting, are necessary deterrence to bad eggs in the Nigerian judiciary”, they stated.
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