We’ll write Saraki’s resignation letter - Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG)

The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) has offered to help embattled Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, who is currently standing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, over corruption related charges, to write his resignation letter, if he does not know how to go about writing it.

The offer came as it was revealed that over 1000 Nigerians living in London have signed up with NDMG to participate in a walk from No 1 to No 9 Northumberland Avenue London, which houses the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom. The NDMG revealed they will hold a one hour sit out at the embassy to demand amongst other things the removal of all public officials indicted for corruption using the Senate

President’s case as the anchor. An electronic copy of the speech to be delivered at the sit out, titled “10 Reasons Why Bukola Saraki Must Resign as Senate President within the Next 10 Days,” stated that the position of Senate President has been tainted beyond imagination with the endless scandals around the current holder.

The speech, to be presented by Engr. Onyilo Adeka, said there are many reasons why Saraki must immediately resign as the President of the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria: “His alleged failure to declare his assets or falsifying any declaration he did made is a violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers as spelt out in the constitution. A lawbreaker has no business leading the nation’s law making arm. “Revelations of the Panama Papers about his offshore assets, which were allegedly not declared by the way, are enough reason for Saraki to have done the needful. His co-traveller in the Panama affair and former Icelandic Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, has demonstrated what a man does when he compromises his honour but Saraki failed to understand the concept.

 In this he may want to peruse the National Assembly records for the names of Evan/Evans Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo and Adolphus Wabara. “The truly innocent has nothing to fear in clearing his name before a court but instead of defending himself against the Code of Conduct Tribunal charges,he had engaged on an endless trip of judgement shopping as he approached one court after the other, not to clear himself, but to block his trial from holding. In addition to the many charges against him he has endlessly abused the judicial system. We are now the butt of online jokes that say the only court Saraki has not approached to stop his trial is the Basketball Court. “The purchase of exotic SUVs for members of the chamber he presides over (in addition to being the Chairman of the National Assembly) is a clear indication of his unremorseful attitude and the disdain in which he holds Nigerians.

 It is enough proof that corruption and wasteful public expenditure are an integral part of his DNA as a public office holder and the fact that the public outcry prior to the act fell on deaf ears confirms he has no iota of regard for what citizens want. “Saraki has converted his trial into an avenue for wasting tax payers’ money as the business of the National Assembly is crippled each time he has to appear at the CCT. He has denied mobilising his colleagues to following him to the trial venue in solidarity but what he has not proven is him telling the other Senators to continue with what they were elected and paid to do instead of embarking on their charade. “It will be prudent that Saraki resigns and faces his trial as an individual while the other lawmakers face their national assignment without distraction. “On top of the outrage, the charges against him are generating among Nigerians, Saraki upped the insult to Nigerians by attempting to change the goal post when he and his colleagues futilely attempted to amend the laws, the Code of Conduct Bureau Act and Code of Conduct Tribunal Act, under which he was being tried. Even it was another top politician being tried; attempting to change the laws during the trial has all the hallmark of criminality. “In the almost one year he has been the President of the Senate, Saraki has not demonstrated concurrence with the desire and determination of Nigerians to tackle corruption head on.

Almost all the Senate/National Assembly action he has presided over tend to be in favour of entrenching corruption. “The budget fiasco is confirmation that Saraki is out to strangulate the nation for political leverage. A man that can compromise the wellbeing of 170million citizens to save his political career is not to be trusted with the office that Saraki currently occupies. “Saraki’s persistence in office in the face of the damning indictments against him is blocking Nigeria’s progress with international partners. They cannot trust that a man with baggage this much presiding over parliament will willingly domesticate treaties that have anti- corruption components.

Many agreements between Nigerian and other countries are consequently awaiting activation as these nations bid time to see what we do with her legislative arm. “Saraki’s several and latest attempts at using the media to plead political persecution as the reason for his compromised position are unacceptable. His explanations, which should have been saved for the courts, did not factor in all the above enumerated reasons. The combination of all these reasons is enough ground for Saraki to immediately resign and we so demand.” Adeka wrote.

 The group further said “We believe Saraki is at a loss on how to coin his resignation letter. So, we strongly urge him to use any of or all the reasons we have listed in writing his resignation letter which should be done within the next ten days. “Bukola Saraki’s position as Senate President is no longer tenable and he should quit immediately allowing to Nigeria make progress. “We urge constituents of the various Senatorial Districts to closely watch where the senators they elected are pitching their tents in this show of shame with a view to using the instrumentality of recall or voting them out in the next election.” NDMG warned that Nigeria cannot continue to operate as if it is on a different planet from other countries of the world.