The Presidency has given reasons
President Muhammadu Buhari has been quiet on cases of corruption involving
members of his cabinet.
It also said that the Senate and
the Ministry of Health panels that investigated the suspended Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the Executive Secretary of
the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, was lacking the powers
to indict the top government officials.
This was disclosed by a Special
Assistant to the President on Prosecutions, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla when he
addressed questions on why President Bihari is silent on the reports before
him.
The presidential aide maintained
that a similar committee set up by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole,
which discovered that fraud to the tune of N919m allegedly took place under
Yusuf as the NHIS boss, also lacked the power to investigate crime.
When asked how soon the President
would take a decision on the SGF, Obono-Obla told Punch, “It is an
administrative process because it was not clear if there was corruption or if
there was an infringement on the economic or financial laws in the country.
“The Senate that attempted to
investigate it did not have the power (to do so). It cannot investigate crime;
the Senate can only carry out its oversight function to expose corruption ,
inefficiency, maladministration in the process of lawmaking.
“It (Senate) should report to the
ICPC; it should report to the EFCC. An administrative panel of enquiry (the
Osinbajo-led panel ) has submitted its report to the President. After that, a
committee would be set up to review and then come out with a White Paper.
“It is not automatic. A White
Paper would be the government’s position on the issue. The committee can make
10 recommendations and the White Paper may accept two. So, the President is in
that process of coming out with a report.
“So, the President must follow due
process before coming to a conclusion. Even if that report comes out, the
President does not have powers to investigate the crime.
“The Nigeria Police Force, EFCC,
ICPC, and so on are the only bodies that have powers to investigate the crime.
That matter has to be investigated and if a prima facie case is established ,
then that person can be taken to court. Nigerians must just be patient.”
He, however, said the Presidency
was in the process of coming up with a report on the suspended SGF’s matter.
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ReplyDeleteUtter rubbish
ReplyDelete