The Senate has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to rein in
the chairman of the Presidential Action Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC),
Professor Itse Sagay who it accused of spreading falsehood and making hate
speeches against the National Assembly.
In a statement by its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi
Abdullahi, the Senate stated that Sagay was fond of using every opportunity he
has to make public speeches to disparage the Federal Legislature by using
uncouth and unprintable words to describe the legislators and the institution
they represent.
He noted that Sagay had been one of the few divisive
elements in the Buhari administration who believe their relevance is enhanced
only when they create constant tension between the legislature and the
executive while also setting members of the executives against each other.
Abdullahi noted that while the legislators had ignored past
statements made by the Professor of law, his recent speech at a public lecture
in Lagos organized by the Society of International Law where he gave false
details about the salary and allowances of the legislators and the various
bills passed bordered on inciting members of the public against the legislators
and deliberately circulating hate speech; which the government is working hard
to contain.
"Ordinarily, we would ignore Sagay whose statements and
attitude present him like a rascal and sadist instead of a former university
teacher. However, his last speech in Lagos during which he was reeling out false
and exaggerated figures about the salaries nod allowances of legislators and
also lied about the passage of anti-corruption bills showed that he just
deliberately set out to undermine the legislative institution and lower its
reputation in the estimation of right thinking members of the society and we
therefore believe we should put him in his rightful place.
"As an academic whose creed should be to find facts and
make comments based on truth, we believe that Sagay should stop spreading beer
parlour rumours about the salaries and allowances of legislators when he could
simply get the facts from the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation
Commission (RMFAC) which is the body constitutionally charged with the
responsibility of fixing salaries and allowances of all public officials.
"Let us make it clear that our salaries and allowances
are open books and the details can be taken from the RMFAC by any interested
party.
"Prof. Sagay at his lecture in Lagos also made
comparisons which did little credit to his background as a lecturer as he was
talking of the salary of the United States President and that of a Nigerian
legislator. That is like comparing oranges with apples. Only a senile, jaded,
rustic and outdated Professor of Law like Sagay will make such a comparison
which falls flat on its face, even to an ordinary lay man. Surely, Sagay is
basing his analysis on street talks.
"Sagay could not even check the records before
proclaiming that "the National Assembly has not passed a single bill for
the promotion of anti-corruption war since it commenced business in July
2015". First, the 8th National Assembly was inaugurated on June 9, 2015
not July. Also, it is on record that the Senate has passed the Whistle Blowers'
Protection Bill, Witness Protection Bill, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal
Matters Bill and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency Bill.
"This man talks like a man who is constantly under the
influence of some substance and perhaps possessed as he employs the language of
a tout with no civility. He is probably constantly excited and incensed
by the fact of having his first opportunity to find himself in the
corridors of power.
" He pontificates and talks as if the war against
corruption of the Buhari administration depends solely on him to survive. He
once publicly attacked the Attorney General of the Federation and accused him
of not doing enough to prosecute the war. In the Lagos speech, he took a
blanket swipe at the judiciary and rubbished that entire institution which he
as a lawyer has the professional, ethical and constitutional duty to respect.
"This is a man who cannot stand for Councilorship
election and win. We challenge him to state what his contributions are in the
election of our amiable President, Muhammadu Buhari and what new ideas he has
contributed to making the fight against corruption more effective since his
appointment. With an easily excited man like him as head of an advisory body,
the nation has continued to lose anti-corruption cases in courts due to the
failure of his advices. He needs to do more work and talk less because media
prosecution cannot win the war on corruption", Abdullahi stated.
The Senate therefore called on the President to caution
Sagay and stop him from further creating needless tension in the relationship
between the executive and the legislature.
Daily Trust
