Bankole: Let the law take its course, group urges Jonathan

A coalition of civil society organisations has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission carry out its statutory functions.
The coalition urged the President not to intervene in the ongoing investigation of the N10bn loan scandal involving the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole.
Spokesman for the coalition, made up of 11 member groups, Malam Auwual Musa, said this at a press conference in Abuja, on Monday.
The group said it was disturbed by the hurried appointment of Mr. Francis Elechi as the new Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission at the twilight of the sixth Senate.
It argued that while it had nothing personal against the appointee, it was concerned about the circumstances surrounding the sudden decision to fill the position which was vacant for about six months.
On the corruption scandal involving Bankole, the group said, “We call on the President not to interfere in the scandal involving the embattled former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“The commitment of this administration to the rule of law, transparency and accountability can only be sustained when justice is allowed to take its course, no matter who is affected.
“The President should not hide under the guise of party “family affair” to prevent the relevant institutions from performing their duties of investigating and prosecuting of alleged offenders and imposing appropriate sanctions if found guilty.”
Musa equally expressed the group’s displeasure over Jonathan’s thesis on how long it takes for the executive to settle down for business.
He noted that the President had at a forum held at State House, Marina, told a delegation that he realised that he had only a four year term and would hit the ground running.
However, the President, about a week after, told an audience at the Presidential Inaugural Lecture in Abuja that the four-year tenure for elected executives as stipulated by the 1999 Constitution “is too short” to implement any meaningful and sustainable agenda.
The group expressed the hope that the president’s second statement was not preparatory to seeking for tenure elongation.
Members of the coalition included Zero Corruption Coalition, Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Publish What You Pay, West Africa Civil Society Forum, Transparency In Nigeria and Centre for Democracy and Development, among others.
By John Alechenu, Abuja                               Courtesy Of: Punch