The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on Tuesday urged the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan over a church gift to his community, Otuoke in Bayelsa State by an Italian construction firm. They added that President Goodluck Jonathan, having admitted openly that he solicited a "bribe" from a foreign construction company, in violation of the Constitution that he swore to uphold.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said commencing the impeachment proceedings will enable the National Assembly to investigate the matter and also reach the appropriate conclusions, since the President, by his own admission and without any prompting, has thumbed his nose at the Constitution.
 |
| Church gift? |
”The Act states: ‘A public officer shall not ask for or accept any property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties.
“For the purposes of subsection (1) of this subsection, the receipt by a public officer of any gifts or benefits from commercial firms, business enterprises or persons who have contracts with the Government shall be presumed to have been received in contravention…unless the contrary is proved’,” it said.
ACN said by his improper and unfortunate action, the President has also undermined the country’s fight against corruption and put Nigeria’s democracy in jeopardy, hence must not be allowed to get away with such an egregious act.
”Gitto has obtained billions of contracts from the Nigerian government, amid reported allegations in the media that it has not executed such contracts well. How can the federal government hold the company to account, when it (firm) has obtained an ”insurance cover” by bribing the President? Is this not why the country’s anti-corruption efforts have not achieved anything? Can the EFCC and the ICPC honestly and boldly fight corruption when the President is knee-deep in the mud of corruption?” it queried.
The party said by openly and gleefully saying, at the inauguration of the church at his Otuoke hometown, that ”the managing director of Gitto made him a promise to build and donate the church to Otuoke community after he (the president) had complained of the aging structure of his church,” the President has demonstrated that he is either not conversant with the Constitution he swore to uphold or
thinks very little of the laws of the land.
”Either way, he should be held accountable for his deeds,” it said.
ACN said it would amount to wishful thinking to expect the country’s anti-corruption agencies to probe President Jonathan’s admission of soliciting and receiving bribery, hence the call on the National Assembly to handle the issue.
The party warned that ongoing attempts to twist the facts and make it seem as if the President did not solicit the bribe will not work, as Nigerians are too smart to be hoodwinked.
”If the President and his supporters deny that he indeed solicited the bribe – as he admitted at the inauguration of the church – we challenge the presidency to play – on national radio and television – the unedited audio and video recording of his speech at the occasion for all Nigerians to hear and see. Experts must also be called in to verify that the tape has not been tampered with in any way,” the party said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Critics must abound... Did the President receive a gift?! If the president had noted or decried the non existent of a good school in Kaduna and a foreign investor donates that as part of development, would it be called a bribe?! When IBB took the FCT from Lagos to Abuja, was it not for the North? LET THE PRESIDENT BE!!!!
ReplyDeleteACN Like unnecessary trouble nawaoo, Is this a bribe? MTSSHWWWWWWWWWWW. Jealousy will kill you people.
ReplyDeleteACN no get job...make una go sit down...just looking for opportunity to unseat Mr President...i no go work! Make ACN go look for better thing to contribute to the Nation!
ReplyDeleteThe thoght of Nigerians baffles me, is this ACN issue or Nigerian constitution>>> Look at what the constitution says and stop blaming ACN. You have a president that can barely understand governace..you blame ACN.
ReplyDeleteI say ACN has a right to complain whenever they see something amiss. However the burden of providing proof lies on them. If they have members in the House, they should use them. If they have audio or video proofs, they should provide them. You can't ask other people to do your work for you. Provide such proofs as you have.
ReplyDelete"The party said by openly and gleefully saying, at the inauguration of the church at his Otuoke hometown, that ”the managing director of Gitto made him a promise to build and donate the church to Otuoke community after he (the president) had complained of the aging structure of his church,”"
So many semantic errors are committed in the above quotation from the report. For example, how can the president "gleefully" (happily) say that the a church being "inaugurated"(new) has an "aging structure" where "aging" means old? How could the company, Gitto, promise the president to build a church which is being inaugurated, and "donate" it to the Otuoke community? Is the president the owner of the church? Does he belong to the church? Either the accusers or the writers have an acute attack of ignoramusiosis (Don't check the dictionary! You can quote me before usage, however!)
when i read in the papers that he solicited for a church structure in his community from a company, i was baffled. how can the president be so unguarded by his words. i assumed, he was not thinking properly before he spoke those words because this is a grave offence that led German PM to resign and many others in the western world. the president should not be found doing it, not to talk of admitting it in public. He opened his anus and certainly, the breach must blow across it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why ACN will be pointing accused finger on Goodluck are they free themselves. Tinubu and Fashola is the most notorious barawo i have ever see in this present administration, i mean big thief because Tinubu set up a company called ABC i.e Alpa Beta at Ijora side to be collecting revenue for Lagos State government whereas he has pull some accounting firm down who was formerly generating revenue for Federal government before, this accounting firm has folded up due to Tinubu greedy idea, but my question is if the government is behaving this way how do they want these professionals to practice their job? Tunubu is generating billions of money in his pocket up till now even other state are even copying from him, to me this is wrong and where do you want all these professionals to practice their handwork, i hate Tinubu with passion because he has render some companies, people and graduates out of job due to this his 419 mentality. Tinubu you and your party you are a thief!!!!!!! because your own case is more criminal, nonsense..
ReplyDeleteLeave this man alone jare!!!!!. What is ACN talking about? The criticisms against GEJ needs to be constructive, not destructive ones. There is much to subscribe to the development of Nigeria, than the 'church gift' thing, which people should talk about. What would ACN say about miscreants who amash wealth worth billions to themselves?
ReplyDeleteThese jobless men are at it again!
ReplyDeleteLet us leave personality issues aside.Did mr president use his office to influence the building of the church or not?That is what the bone of contention should be!
ReplyDeleteMy church in Benue is in dilapitated form too but no company would come to our aid cause we cannot provide the required contract that would generate the kind of money that would 'benefit' them.
Let us wake up,am not saying the president should be impeached but does he violate any constitutional provisions?