Reps reject CCT Chairman’s request to drop corruption charges against him

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions on Wednesday rejected a request by Justice Danladi Umar, Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, to drop corruption charges investigation against him.

A group, Anti-Corruption Network, had petitioned the house, alleging that the tribunal chairman was corrupt, and cited instances which amounts involved amounted to N10 million.

At the resumed sitting of the committee, Umar urged the Uzoma Nkem- Abonta's committee to drop the investigation as the petitioner, who was absent at the sitting appeared to have abandoned the case.

He said: "as a matter of fact, we have great respect for this institution that is why we have been here all these while.

"We do really have tight schedule of work in our office, including judgements and administrative works to do.

"So, we implore this honourable House to consider this petition abandoned because if they are serious they would have been here," Umar pleaded.

Earlier, Mr Olusegun Abereoran, Director of Operations for Anti-Corruption Network, had pleaded for additional seven days to enable the Executive Secretary of the organisation to prepare the brief as demanded by the committee.

In his remarks, chairman of the committee, who consulted with the members, deplored the failure of the petitioner to appear and present his brief.

He threatened to sanction the petitioner if he failed to appear at the next hearing, saying, "We seriously take exception to this attitude because justice delayed is justice denied.

"We have no reason to drag man or group of individuals on frivolous excuses.

"We must all have regards for the people that appear; we should understand that others are busy and must be working.

"We are pursuing an era of change where impunity is no longer the order of the day and people must take responsibility for their liability and actions,’’ he said.

On Umar's request to drop the probe, Nkem-Abonta said: "We reasoned with you; ordinarily it should be deemed abandoned if the anti-corruption group fail to appear, we cannot do that now’’.