By Moh Bello Habib
Zaria
A coalition of northern groups under the auspices of Northern Emancipation Network (NEN) has described the call by the Senate for Mr. Babachir Lawal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), to resign and face prosecution as unrealistic and unacceptable.
A statement signed by Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, a front line member of the group and made available to Blueprint in yesterday said: “Apart from disagreeing with the suspicious motive of the Shehu Sani committee did not consult or invite the SGF to give his own side of the story.
“The coalition also observes that the National Assembly lacks the moral competence to indict any official of the executive on allegations of corruption.
“We inadvertently stripped itself of such moral right by openly shielding its leaders who were earlier accused of corrupt practices.
“We challenge the moral authority of the Senate to call for the SGF’s resignation after shamelessly trooping behind the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to shield him from prosecution for obvious misconduct.
“Likewise, the House of Representatives has no moral justification to seek anybody’s sack over alleged official misdemeanor after collectively protecting its Speaker, Dogara from answering the serious integrity questions raised by its own member, Abdulmumin Jibrin, the groups said.
The groups insist that before the National Assembly could reclaim whatever moral right to sanction any official from the executive, it must first surrender its leadership for proper sanction.
It called on Senate President, Bukola Saraki to resign and face his pending trial before the Senate can claim the right to call for the SGF’s resignation and prosec ution.
“We equally call on House of Reps Speaker, Dogara and other officers accused by Jibrin to vacate their offices to allow unhindered investigations as they have no right – legal or moral – to stand as judges in their own case,” they said.
The groups also warned that any further attempt by the NASS to muscle the executive solely to ensure cuts from the virement for what they called “dubious constituency project allowances” will not be acceptable and shall be vigorously resisted.
