The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, vested in the Senate, the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, the power to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the federation.
Following this empowerment, the Senate owes millions of Nigerians huge responsibilities in ensuring that the dividends of democracy are delivered to them.
Like every other Senate that has come and gone since the return of democracy to the Nigerian political landscape in 1999, the 8th Senate, presided over by its President, Senator Bukola Saraki, is held in high esteem by millions of Nigerians, who believe in the enormous responsibilities that arm of the legislature shoulders to improve their lives, especially under a new ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress.
It is a pity that we found ourselves in a society governed by the most corrupt set of people, who deceive themselves a lot. They parade themselves to be making laws, whereas they break the laws with impunity, before they make them
But contrary to expectations of the citizenry, the current Senate could be said to have been the most controversial, since the advent of democracy in 1999, junketing from one controversy to the other, like the famed ‘One Week, One Trouble’ literature book of the secondary school days of yore.
This stemmed from the series of scandals that had been rocking its boat since it was inaugurated on June 9, 2015. Unlike other Senates before it, the inauguration of the 8th Senate kicked off with controversy over the emergence of its incumbent principal officers, especially the emergence of Saraki as Senate President and Ike Ekweremadu, an opposition senator from the Peoples Democratic Party, as Deputy Senate President.
This wobbling and fumbling take-off of the present 8th Senate, according to political analysts and political watchers of events in the country, pointed to the kind of future the Senate would have and how it would help the APC administration of President Muhammadu Buhari deliver on its electioneering campaign promises.
Forgery case
Shortly after Saraki’s emergence, against the entrenched interests in the ruling APC, the two warring factions over the Senate Presidency returned to the trenches, and one faction, which lost out during the election of the principal officers, dug up allegation of forgery of the Senate’s Standing Rules, which purportedly aided Saraki’s faction and his eventual emergence, as well as Ekweremadu’s against the duo.
The allegation, which has been rocking the Senate since then has yet to abate. The replacement of ‘open ballot system’ with the ‘secret ballot system,’ among other amendments to the rules, set the stage for the prosecution of Senate President Saraki and Ekweremadu, on allegations of conspiracy and forgery. Their prosecution is still ongoing
Saraki’s trial at the CCB
While the forgery case against Saraki and Ekweremadu was ongoing, Saraki was docked before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, by the Code of Conduct Bureau, on a 13-count criminal charge that bordered on corruption, false declaration of assets, and illegal operation of a foreign bank account, while he was serving as governor of Kwara State.
Saraki, in the suit marked ABT/01/15, brought against him by the Ministry of Justice, following a CCB recommendation, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The charge sheet, signed by a deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M. S. Hassan, alleged that Saraki manipulated the assets declaration forms he submitted before the CCB in 2003, 2007 and 2011, by making ‘anticipatory declaration of assets’. He was also accused of operating a foreign bank account, while serving as Kwara governor.
The Federal Government maintained that the action of the Senate President ran contrary to the provisions of Section 2 of the CCB and Tribunal Act, and punishable under Sections 15(1) and (2), and 23(2) of the CCB and Tribunal Act, Cap C15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, as well as paragraph 9 of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Saraki continued to shuttle between the CCT and the Senate plenary, most times, presiding after leaving the tribunal, with a retinue of senators who always show up at every hearing.
Paris Club loan refund scandal As if that was not enough, Saraki, alongside a former Managing Director of Heritage Bank Plc, Robert Mbonu; Saraki’s relationship manager in Access Bank Plc, Kathleen Erhimu; his deputy Chief of Staff, Gbenga Peter Makanjuola; and Melrose General Services Limited, were named by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to be involved in an alleged embezzlement of as much as N19 billion that accrued as refunds to state governments that had made excess payments on loans obtained from international lenders, the London and Paris Clubs.
Also named by the EFCC as players in the huge scandal were Kolawole Shittu, the supplier of a controversial Range Rover vehicle to the Senate, as well as one Obiora Amobi and one Oladapo Joseph Idowu.
In a report of its investigations, forwarded to the Presidency, the EFCC wrote, “Mr. Mbonu is alleged to have received the sum of N3.5 billion into his company (Melsrose General Services Limited)’s account from the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, through Account 0005892453 domiciled in Access Bank.”
The report also identified “one Kathleen Erhimu (as) the Relationship Manager to Dr. Bukola Saraki’s account with Access Bank.”
The elaborate EFCC report authenticated a series of reports in which Saraki, as well as numerous governors, colluded to pocket most of the billions of naira in refunds.
The document, however, outlined Saraki’s deep involvement in the still unfolding embezzlement saga.
The EFCC document also reported that, at a meeting, Senator Saraki had “introduced one Joseph Oladapo Idowu and Gbenga Peter Makanjuola, his deputy Chief of Staff, to Ms. Erhimu, and Makanjuola thereafter introduced Mr. Mbonu to Ms. Erhimu.”
The EFCC told the Presidency that Mbonu operated corporate accounts for Melrose General Services at Access Bank. The accounts, listed as 0005892453 and 0005653500, were, until December 13, 2016, operated as business accounts, according to the EFCC report.
The report further disclosed that Halima Kyari, the head of Private Banking Group at Access Bank, “stated in a letter dated December 13, 2016, that Mr. Mbonu requested a transfer of Melrose General Services Company account from Business Account to a Private Banking Group Platform, as he was expecting huge funds into the account.
It was also learned that Mr. Mbonu’s move was at the instance of Senator Saraki, who desired the use of the Melrose General Services Company account to warehouse his cut of the funds that came from the LondonParis Club loan refunds.”
Meanwhile, Senate President Saraki denied the allegations by the EFCC in the said report, while reacting on Monday, March 27, to reports that emerged that he and his aides had been indicted in preliminary investigations in a case of money laundering that involved the said funds.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said Magu orchestrated the report, wondering why the report was indicting Saraki now after Magu’s failed confirmation hearing when it had initially cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Olaniyonu said in the statement, “Our attention has been drawn to the circulation of a report in the media, said to have been leaked by the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, where he made several allegations against Senate President Saraki, as it concerns the payment of the Paris Club Loan refund to Nigerian governors.”
Saraki and Melaye
Saraki was also alleged to have abused his office as Senate President in the alleged importation of a Range Rover Jeep, which was allegedly cleared with fake Customs’ papers.
Controversial senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, was accused of parading fake educational certificates. The twin scandals involving Saraki and his ally, Melaye, were made public, following reports by Sahara Reporters, an online news medium, about how a bullet proof Range Rover purportedly belonging to Saraki was imported with fake papers and seized by the Nigeria Customs Service.
Though investigations are still ongoing about the imported car by Saraki, Melaye, on the other hand, seems to have been cleared of certificate forgery, although, albeit with many questions still begging for answers in the saga.
Speaking on these developments, a political analyst, Afolabi Martins, said the current Senate was peopled with senators whose mission in the National Assembly was far from the national interest.
“Most Nigerian politicians are not loyal. It is a pity that we found ourselves in a society governed by the most corrupt set of people, who deceive themselves a lot. They parade themselves to be making laws, whereas they break the laws with impunity, even before they make them. It won’t surprise you that most of them don’t even know their purpose in the position they are occupying. All they are interested in is the money they will embezzle. That is why I kept feeling sorry for this nation and every one of us,” he said.
But, an APC chieftain, who pleaded anonymity, said despite the fact that the current Senate was enmeshed in different scandals since its inauguration in June 2015, it was still held in high esteem by the citizenry.
“There is nothing like loss of integrity by this Senate. For me, I don’t think it will affect the integrity of the Senate as an institution, neither will it affect the National Assembly as an arm of government.
What I think may likely happen is that it will affect the perception of the people about the Senate. I think if you are doing a report in that area, you have to scrutinise all of those scandals, like that of Dino’s certificate. It has been well established that he is a graduate. Some of these scandals are incorrect and at the end, it will not affect the integrity of the Senate,” he concluded.
A former senator, Olayinka Omilani, lamented that the present set of senators had so much disgraced the Nigerian Senate than anyone in the country since their emergence.
He said, “If you flash back to their inauguration, you will discover that they kick-started with problems here and there. Well, with what has been shown to the public, it means that the senators are not serious-minded persons.
“We passed through the Senate and we only sat two times in a week to deliberate and pass bills that promoted the country effectively, but now, it has been turned into mockery.”
What I think may likely happen is that it will affect the perception of the people about the Senate. I think if you are doing a report in that area, you have to scrutinise all of those scandals, like that of Dino’s certificate
