Arms Scandal: Former Minister Cautions Lai Mohammed, Sagay, Against Hanging Suspects on the Pages of Newspapers

December 27, 2015341 views0

Arms Scandal: Former Minister Cautions Lai Mohammed, Sagay, Against Hanging Suspects on the Pages of Newspapers

2015-12-27T21:19:52+01:00

By Bede

The Chairman of the Presidential anti-corruption committee, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), alongside Culture and Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, have both been warned by the immediate past Minister of National Planning Commission, Dr. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, to henceforth desist from making statements aimed at attacking immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan and his administration. Sulaiman, speaking openly about his displeasure with the development, insisted that December 23, 2015 statement credited to Sagay, which tends to vilify former President Jonathan on the ongoing arms scam is not only unfortunate but unprofessional. According to him, “One should expect the respected learned scholar to know that you don’t hang a suspect on the pages of newspapers or via social media until he or she is found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. “Even where the learned jurist feels passionate of such a sensitive but sensational issue, he should know the right route to the villa rather than taking such prejudicial position. It is high time our legal luminaries confined themselves to the noble enclave of their profession than toeing the path of some mischief politicians. “Nigeria awaits the report of the Sagay committee on how best to fight corruption in our polity. And we pray that when the report of his Committee finally comes out, it will reflect and incorporate the noble principles of rule of law, fair hearing and impartiality so as to meet the irreducible minimum standard expected in matters of this nature. “We also pray that it may not end up dashing, rather than raising the hopes of an average Nigerian in the vintage APC fashion, as with most things these days.”