PROTESTERS hit the streets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Wednesday, demanding a retrial of the case involving fraud in the administration of police pension fund. This is according to reports from the Tribune website.
In the case, former director of the Police Pension Office, Mr John Yakubu Yusuf had been jailed for two
years by Justice Abubakar Talba with an option of N750,000 fine after pleading guilty to stealing about N32 billion of the funds.
The judgement has, however, continued to attract criticisms. The protesters, comprising members of Anti-Corruption Network (ACN), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and Association of Unemployed Youths of Nigeria (AUYN) stormed both the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Assembly, decrying the judgment.
ACN was led by Mr Dino Melaye, while NANS was led by its Senate President, Comrade Kolade Olaolu. The AUYN members were led by its national coordinator, Comrade Damesi Momoh.
The protesters, in their hundreds, were dressed in black T-shirts and carried placards and banners of various inscriptions. Some of the placards read, “Jankara judgment for pension thief,” “Orishirishi judgment for pension thief,” “CJN, investigate judge.”
They also demanded sanctioning of Justice Talba, among others, they noted that the citizens were tired of corrupt officials and were determined that there must be a change.
Speaking during the protest, Melaye stressed that President Goodluck Jonathan, leadership and members of the National Assembly, heads of security agencies and others in leadership position in the country must make moves to salvage the country from drifting. He said: “We are collaborating now with Nigerian students and others interested in fighting corruption and part of our strategy is to ensure that we shout ‘barawo’ in the North; ‘ole’ in the South-West and ‘onyeoshi’ in the East of this country among others on corrupt people.”
The protesters, after pockets of resistance by security agencies, succeeded in gaining access into the ministry where their representatives submitted a petition addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, and copied to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke.
The petition obtained by the Nigerian Tribune reads in part: “How else can we describe a situation where Mr John Yusuf, a man involved in over N27 billion pension scam was let off the hook with N750,000 only as fine option of two years jails term? We recall that a Magistrates’ Court recently sentenced a man to two years jail term without option of fine for stealing a goat worth five thousand naira. You will also agree with us that China is the largest economy today, yet it punishes cases of corruption to serve as deterrent with capital punishment (death). “We once again call for eradication of plea bargain. It is evil, nonsensical, archaic and detrimental to our avowed fight against corruption. “We advocate the China option of capital punishment for corruption, in which the family of the convicted and executed persons pay the bill for execution.”
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Federal University of Agriculture (FUNNAB), Abeokuta, also condemned the judgment on the police pension fund.
The association, in a statement issued on Wednesday said: “The union weeps for a nation where a person can be accused to have stolen over N20billion in pension funds. The accused pleads guilty and agrees to have stolen N2bn and the court judgement is only a fine of N750,000. “We are surprised that the accused, who was found guilty any way, did not only receive a presidential handshake as appreciation for such act of patriotism and national service. What a shame! What a descent from decency we have slid to!”
Meanwhile, all seems not to be over for Yusuf as he was, on Wednesday, remanded in Kuje Prison by Justice Adamu Bello of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Controversies have been trailing the sentence with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) insisting that Yesufu was supposed to serve the jail term after all his properties might have been seized.
This development prompted the anti-graft agency to re-arrest Yusuf over alleged non-disclosure of all his assets.
At the re-arraignment on Wednesday, the accused person pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge slammed on him. Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, told the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial with two witnesses ready to give evidence against the accused. He also prayed the court to remand the accused in prison custody pending the next adjourned date. The defence counsel, Theodore Mayaki, pleaded with the court to remand the accused in the EFCC custody, but Justice Bello ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody and consequently adjourned till March 1 for trial.
In the fresh charge, the anti-graft agency had alleged that Yusuf had, on February 14, 2012, knowingly failed to make full disclosure of his assets and liabilities in the Declaration of Assets Form, which he filled, by not declaring his interest in a company known as SY-A Global Services Limited, incorporated by him and solely owned by him and members of his immediate family. He was also alleged to have failed to declare his interest in a N250 million fixed deposit which was fixed in the name of the said company in an account it maintains at Zenith Bank International Plc. The company was also alleged to have another N10 million fixed deposit in an account it maintains at FirstBank of Nigeria Plc.
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