Panama Scam: Resign or be disgraced, CACOL tells Saraki

– Adeniran said with revelations from the ‘Panama Papers,’ the Federal Government and the anti-corruption agencies should swing into action

– CACOL said Saraki was known for running publicly-owned businesses bankrupt

Embattled Senate president Bukola Saraki docked at the CCT

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has called on the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to tow the path of honour by resigning as the President of the Nigerian Senate or be ready to be disgraced out of office.

This is follows the latest revelations from the ‘Panama Papers’ leaks about assets confirmed to be proceeds of corruption belonging to the Saraki Dynasty.

The executive chairman, CACOL, Mr Debo Adeniran, reacting to the ‘Panama Papers’ revelations said that before becoming the Senate President, Saraki was known for running publicly-owned businesses bankrupt.

He said someone with a poor reputation such as his was not fit to be called or be elected as a Senator not even to talk of becoming the Senate President.

“With such a background and considering that he  oscillates between sitting in the criminal suspects’ box in the Code of Conduct Tribunal as a criminal suspect and sitting as President of the Senate in the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly as the President of the Senate doubling as the Chairman of the National Assembly, the situation becomes an aberration and makes Saraki a misfit to occupy a seat in the Nigerian Senate in the first place and unfit to continue to occupy the exalted position of the Senate Presidency,” Adeniran said on Wednesday in Lagos.

Adeniran went further to say that the fact that Saraki lied about his declaration of assets was enough proof for everyone that he was not a credible person, saying that his impeachment processes should have started long before now, and that it was better for him to resign now.

“Should he refuse to resign, the Senate must wield the big stick by commencing his impeachment process immediately. For it is absurd for someone who sits high at the throne of the law making guild in Nigeria to discredit himself so much in the eyes of the public and thereby tarnishing the image of the country among the comity of Nations.’’

“CACOL is aware, and actually, it is public knowledge that the Saraki dynasty have been clinching on to power, especially in Kwara State, power which the family have used to amass stupendous wealth over time.

The Saraki family has been in government for so long and they have had unlimited access to government funds, properties and other assets, in Kwara State, since 1999 up to this present moment, all the governors have either come from the Saraki family or imposed by the Saraki family, leaving no chance for other people to be elected,” he said.

Adeniran said with revelations from the ‘Panama Papers,’ the Federal Government and the anti-corruption agencies should swing into action with the view of investigating, prosecuting and recovering of the loots while applying necessary punitive where culpability was established.

He said this was not just about Saraki, but that it must include all other Nigerians mentioned in the ‘leaks’ like Mr. David Mark and others.