The Senate has said the case of assault allegation against the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar has not gone cold before it; stressing that the judicial officer must appear before it at its next sitting on Tuesday, 13th July, 2021.
This was as the upper legislative chamber denied colluding with the CCT Chairman to sweep the matter under the carpet and allowing it to slowly go cold as being alleged by the petitioner, Clement Sargwak and his lawyers.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition, Ayo
Akinyelure said on the contrary, it was the petitioner, Clement Sargwak and his lawyers who tried to blackmail the Senate and tarnish the integrity of the institution in the eyes of the Nigerian public when the two appeared in an interview with AIT; denying any knowledge of a letter forwarded to him by the petitioner to withdraw the case against the CCT Chairman.
” When I was intimated with this development, I said no this cannot happen. I called Clement Sargwak to ensure that this was not a misrepresentation.”
” Clement answered me on a speaker phone that his father ordered him to go and withdraw the petition.”
Akinyelure said he asked the petitioner if he had informed his lawyers about his decision to withdraw the matter and that if he had not; there cannot be any valid grounds to withdraw the matter since it was the lawyer that filed the case before the Senate.
The Panel Chairman said he was shocked that the petitioner and his lawyers turned around to blackmail the Senate even after his panel had at the last hearing fixed 13th July, 2021 to continue with the case.
Given the latest development, Akinyelure said both the petitioner and the CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar must now make it a date with his panel; sounding a note of warning that his panel will not entertain any more excuses from the CCT Chairman who had in the last two hearings failed to appear before it on grounds of ill-health.
