How to win anti-corruption war - Kwara speaker
Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, has hailed President Muhammad Buhari’s war against corruption. However, he advised that due process must be followed.
Ahmad also commended the president for appointing Prof. Itse Sagay as Chairman of Advisory Committee on war against corruption, said it was the right step in the right direction.
Speaking with newsmen, he said implementation of the criminal justice system law would prevent lawyers from frustrating corruption cases in the law court.
He said: “The war on corruption in my view in a political dispensation would be won this way; one in court and two by following due process. In court, the federal government is now fully armed with law that it can channel towards fighting corruption in a democratic dispensation. What I mean here is that the last legislature passed Administration of Criminal Justice Act and it was assented to by former President Jonathan. Now, President Buhari should take full advantage in implementing this Act. If Buhari does not implement this law, I am afraid; his war on corruption will be scuttled in the law court by the lawyers.”
“When you file a case, lawyers will first challenge the jurisdiction. They will spoil the case and it will go to Supreme Court for seven years. President Buhari does not have that time but he has been assisted by the passage of this law and that law needs to be implemented. The Attorney General must be appointed immediately. He has to put in place the bodies that are in existence under that law. If he does not, we are just shouting on the pages of newspapers. The law hopes that you cannot take more than four adjournments. If you want to challenge any other thing, if you draft a charge that somebody stole N20 million and in the N20 million, you failed to put comma there, the lawyers will say this charge is deficient and will take advantage of such deficiency to tell the judge that he will appeal based on that deficiency because constitution allows you to appeal a decision. Then, you go to Court of Appeal for three years, if Court of Appeal says it is not necessary, lawyers will say, my lord, this is a decision, I am going to the Supreme Court. So, President Buhari should implement this law, after this, If he says the comma is not there, go and appeal, but the Act says the proceeding should continue”, he said.