Rule of law not a defence for corruption suspects ---Minister
(Nigeria) Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will continue to fight corruption within the confines of the rule of law, but warned that it (rule of law) was not intended to be used as a weapon to hamper the dispensation of justice.
''In response to the ongoing anti-corruption efforts of the
government, an increasing number of voices have emerged in defence of suspects
being indicted for various acts of corruption by the courts of law under the
banner of upholding the rule of law.
''Let me stress that the Rule of Law is not and was never
intended to be used as a line of defense for suspects undergoing trial for
corrupt practices in the courts of law that are lawfully constituted and
endowed with the legitimate authority to carry out same trial,'' the minister
said at a symposium organised by the Gani Fawehinmi Students' Chamber of the
Faculty of Law, University of Lagos.
He said the Administration is a product and true advocate of
the rule of law, and that ''there is no greater proponent of that time-tested
legal principle than Mr. President himself.''
The minister said there was nothing questionable in the administration's
approach to fighting corruption, adding: ''The government is bound by law and
is following the rule of law in its anti-corruption efforts. Were this not the
case, the accused persons so far charged would not be having their day in
court.''
He said each society had used methods expedient to it to fight
corruption at different times in their own history, citing the example of
Singapore which once fought corruption by suspending rule of law and
fundamental rights.
''The current Nigerian government has not requested for
emergency powers to tackle corruption, even though some school of thought
unequivocally believes that Nigeria is in an emergency, with high unemployment,
unpaid salaries, reduced income, insurgency, reduced oil income and primitive
looting of the treasury by the immediate
past administration,'' Alhaji Mohammed said.
Rallying support for the fight against corruption, he said
the battle is a constitutional imperative, and quoted Section 15 (5) of the
Constitution, which says: “The State shall abolish all corrupt practices and
abuse of office.”
''So, President Buhari was only giving life to this very
important provision, with all his targeted actions against corruption and his
rallying cry to all Nigerian patriots in the forefront of the war:
'Nigeria must kill corruption before corruption kills
Nigeria'. I hope you will join us in this epic battle, because it is not
Buhari's war, it is not APC's war. It is Nigeria's war of survival,'' the
Minister said.
Discussants at the symposium, including Mr. Femi Falana, SAN
and Mr. Jiti Ogunye, expressed support for the anti-corruption battle, saying
those who are charged with corruption cannot use the bogey of the Rule of Law
to escape justice.
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