…Say there’s Need to Dispel Perception that they are Politically Motivated, Serve Personal Interest

…As HEDA Wants ICPC to Probe Alleged Corruption in FG Technical College

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, over failure to publish reports of all completed public hearings and corruption probes by the National Assembly (NASS).

SERAP is also suing NASS for not disclosing the number of probes that have resulted in any indictment of suspects.

In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is arguing that, “The court ought to compel Lawan and Gbajabiamila to publish the reports of hearings and probes and to send the reports to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for prosecution. Granting the reliefs sought would bolster public trust and confidence in the lawmakers’ oversight functions, and dispel the perception that many of the hearings and probes are politically motivated and serve personal interest, rather than the general public interests.”

SERAP is also arguing that, “Nigerians have the right to information, as guaranteed under Section 39(1) of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which the country has ratified and domesticated as part of its national laws.”

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare and Mr Opeyemi Owolabi, read in part, “There is no legally justifiable reason why the information should not be made widely available to Nigerians, and why the prosecution of indicted suspects should not be pursued, where there is relevant admissible evidence.

“Public officers are mere custodians of public records. There is legitimate public interest in the publication of the reports of these public hearings and probes. The public hearings and probes can only serve as effective mechanisms to prevent and combat corruption if their reports are widely published.

“The exercise of oversight functions and powers by the National Assembly to conduct public hearings and corruption probes in MDAs should be regarded as a public trust. The National Assembly has a unique opportunity to enhance the integrity of its oversight functions on corruption matters in particular, and other constitutional roles, in general.”

SERAP prayed the court to compel Mr Lawan and Mr Gbajabiamila “to send all reports of completed public hearings and corruption probes to appropriate anti-corruption agencies to consider if there was sufficient admissible evidence to pursue prosecution and to sponsor a resolution to stop lawmakers from directly getting involved in the execution of projects by MDAs, and to ensure the proper and effective exercise of their oversight functions over corruption allegations including in the Niger Delta Development Commission and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).”

The suit followed recent public hearings by the National Assembly on corruption allegations in ministries, departments and agencies, including the NDDC and NSITF.

The outcomes and reports of the public hearings and corruption probes have remained secret and the allegations unresolved.

In a related development, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has been asked to beam the anti-corruption searchlight on the Federal College of Education (Technical) located in Asaba, Delta State. The school was established in 1986 by Decree No 4 of the then military authority with focal point on producing vocational education teachers to mentor students with vocational skill.

The school has been hit by allegations of corruption against the management of the school. In a petition sent to the ICPC Chairman, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA Resource Centre) said a representative of the school’s workforce had written to the ICPC indicating a can of worms in the institution but instead the whistleblower has faced threats to his life.

“We urge you without further delay to beam the searchlight on the school. There are serious allegations of corruption against the management of the school. The allegations are financial mismanagement of millions of Naira of public funds,” HEDA said in a petition signed by its Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju.

HEDA said it received calls from one Mr. Ameh Joseph Eche, who informed the foremost Nigerian anti-corruption group that he had written a petition since last year to the commission demanding an investigation into the prevailing corrupt practices at the Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, Delta State. He accused the authority of the school of resulting in several forms of reprisal attack on him and gross violations of his rights. Eche had also written a rejoinder dated November 3, 2019 to the commission without any reply.

Eche however informed HEDA that upon communication with the head of the investigation team, Mr. Muhammed Lawal, he was informed that active investigation commenced on the petition in January 2020 but that after a month of not receiving any feedback, he relayed with Lawal again who notified him that the investigation on the petition had been concluded and recommended for prosecution and that the suspects were found culpable.

“The provisions of the law are clear on the powers conferred on the ICPC to investigate and prosecute. The investigation on the matter said to have been concluded in February 2020 is yet to be instituted in a court of competent jurisdiction,” claims Suraju, urging the anti corruption body to give adequate protection to Mr Eche.

HEDA said Eche deserves protection and should be treated as a patriotic citizen and whistleblower who did the right thing by reporting the recurring cases of corruption in the name of contract implementation amongst top officials of the institution. The organisation said, the sleaze “has eaten deep into the roots of the school which might make the school lay in ruin.”

The group said as a public institution, corruption allegations against the school are of grave concern to the wellbeing of the students and workers of the school and the public at large.

“We call for urgent investigation and we want to see the ICPC ensure that individuals and officials implicated in abuse of office and corrupt practices are brought to justice, which is of utmost priority to the course of justice. This request for update is not to be considered as interloping but as one of our patriotic mandate to promote and foster accountability while ensuring transparency and participatory governance in the country,” Suraju further said.