Why Senate shut down for Saraki’s trial – Na’Allah
Leadership of the Senate on Friday said
that it shut down activities on Thursday
in solidarity with its President, Bukola
Saraki, because of circumstances
surrounding his ongoing assets
declaration trial.
Deputy Leader of the Senate, Ibn
Na’Allah, told the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the senate
believed that rather than prosecution,
Saraki was being persecuted, hence the
level of solidarity from the lawmakers.
According to Na’Allah, majority of the
senators believe that the trial of the
president of the senate by the Code of
Conduct Tribunal is in no way a
prosecution.
“You see, it is a matter of belief and I am
going to tell you in very clear language.
“The belief of the 8th Senate and
substantial number of the senators is
that the trial of the President of the
Senate is persecution rather than
prosecution.
“If it is persecution, we believe that we
have a responsibility to stand by him.
“But if it is prosecution, every senator of
the federal republic believes and rightly
so, that this government must be given
all the necessary assistance it requires to
fight corruption,’’ he said.
He argued that Saraki’s trial for alleged
offences he committed 13 years ago was
more of a political move than a legal or
anti-corruption matter.
Maintaining that the senators felt that
Saraki was on political trial, Na’Allah
said that all the senators could not be
wrong at the same time.
“Let me be honest with you; from the
little that I know, the senate sees the trial
as more of a political trial than a trial
intended specifically for the purpose for
which it should be done.
“It may be wrong, it may be right, but
the circumstances of the trial and for the
reason that the subject matter of the trial
occurred about 12 or 13 years ago, you
cannot fault the senators if they come to
that conclusion.
“I am not so sure that you can say that
the substantial number of people who
believe that this trial is wrong can, at the
same time, be said to be wrong.
“We keep on hoping that those who want
to assist this government honestly and
sincerely will see the wisdom in
portraying this government in the best
tradition of democratic society,” he said.
The senate leader, however, said that he
was sure that President Muhammadu
Buhari meant well for Nigeria, with the
intention of shifting from culture of
impunity to that of adherence to the rule
of law.
He decried that Nigerians, most times,
did not like to hear the truth on issues,
and would label somebody as ‘’bad’’ no
matter how many times the person
testified to his innocence.
“It is in the overall interest of everyone
who loves this country to assist this
government in doing everything in
accordance with the dictates of our
Constitution,” he said.
He urged Nigerian to desist from the
habit of always treating actions of people
in authority with suspicion, adding that
citizens must also learn to speak well of
the country in every circumstance.
“We must, as citizens of this country,
decide whether we will hang ourselves
on the landing of unquestionable acts or
we imitate our brothers and sisters in
other parts of the world.
‘’These are people who have seen good in
themselves, in their leaders and in their
country, and who have become patriots
of their nations rather than patriots of
myopic thinking,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that Thursday’s suspension of
plenary over Saraki’s assets declaration
trial was the third time the senators
shunned sitting over the matter.
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