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14 Jun

Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa’s open revelation; CACOL CALLS FOR THOROUGH INVESTIGATION

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has called on anti-corruption agencies, National Judicial Council and the Presidency to urgently set machineries in motion to investigate Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa over his statement that he obtained favours from his wife on behalf of his fellow senators.

 

In a release issued by CACOL and signed by TolaOresanwo, the anti-corruption organization’s Director of Administration and Programmes, on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated, “It would be recalled that Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa, the current senator representing Bauchi North senatorial districtin a video clip which surfaced yesterday, spoke at the valedictory session of the Ninth Senate. Bulkachuwa claimed that he encroached on his wife’s (ZainabBulkachuwa, a retired Justice of the Appeal Court) “freedom and independence” in the course of her official duties as head of the second highest judicial office in Nigeria.

 

“We watched the video which has gone viral and we were aghast that a serving Senator could condescend so low to the extent of currying unmerited favouron behalf of his colleagues from his wife who was privileged to be in a position of judicial authority. More alarming is the fact that the Senator has the boldness, audacity and temerity to come out in the presence of the press to confess his ‘many sins’ to the Nigerian state. This shows the level of impunity being exhibited by our so called representatives of the people.

 

Since Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa has dramatically blown his own whistle, he has finally confirmed the reason why so many Nigerians have lost faith in the judiciary. Can we say all the cases his wife handled during her days on the bench are dispensed without fear or favour?  The Senator’s statements in the viral video shows that corruption in high places is on the increase in the country and drastic measures must be taken to stem the tide. The President should not overlook this serious infraction committed by a person who is supposed to know and protect the laws of the land. It is one anomaly that shows the rot not only in the judiciary but in virtually every arms of government.

 

The anti-graft czar added, “Considering the strategic and critical role of the legislative and judicial arm of government, we believe people like Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa, are not worthy in character and personality to represent any particular group of people in the country. We therefore call on Anti-corruption Agencies, the National Judicial Council and the presidency to swing into action and immediately investigate the claim by the Senator. He and his wife should be quizzed to determine the cases he intervened in and correction or redress should be made in those cases while he along with his wife should be appropriately punished to serve as deterrent to others.

 

 

 

TolaOresanwo

Director,Administration and Programmes, CACOL.

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

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9 Jun

CACOL CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT TINUBU, CAUTIONS HIM ON FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL

30th May, 2023

 

Press Release

 

CACOL CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT TINUBU, CAUTIONS HIM ON FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has congratulated the incoming President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was sworn in as the 16th President of the country. The Anti-Corruption organization however cautioned the President over his recent decision to stop fuel subsidy regime in the country.

 

In a release issued by CACOL’s Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran and signed by the anti-corruption organization’s Director of Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo, he stated, “We do not agree with Mr. President that fuel subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources rather we want to align ourselves with the school of thought that believes that subsidy should not be removed from fuel, it doesn’t matter who uses fuel. Those buying Luxury items like expensive cars/vehicles should be made to pay more at the point of registering their cars and renewing their vehicle papers based on the cost and the age of the vehicle. These sets of people are the ones using petroleum products more.  Same policy should apply to those using expensive or high capacity generators who should be made to also register them with the government. All the luxury goods should attract higher taxes and rates, these will generate the needed income that can serve as alternative to the subsidy the president is trying to remove.“

 

We at CACOL believe that our people especially the middle class and those occupying the lower rung of the social strata would be forced to face the following consequences of fuel subsidy regime removal:

 

  1. General increase in the prices of fuel and other related products.
  2. General increase in the cost of transportation.
  3. General devaluation of the commanding power of wages
  4. Lowering of general living standards.
  5. The decision will foist on the people multiple economic discomforts pitiably on the same people who are just coming out of the bad effects of crashing state revenues and variants of poverties of material well-being, the difficulties associated with the  recent unavailability of petrol,  the hard pains suffered from the  lack of cash, resulting from the seemingly deliberate Emefiele driven fiscal policy and failed  currency redesign

 

 

“We would like to advise that Mr. President should not come in to cause agony and increase the level of misery of the people most of whom are already living below the poverty line and who are also looking up to him to proffer solutions to the myriads of problems facing the country. Moreover, the promise of renewed hope would have been eroded if the President carries out his planned suspension of the fuel subsidy regime removal. Instead of removing the subsidy on micro products like fuel, he should rather extend subsidy to other products like foodstuff, the government should create food banks and produce marketing boards to receive all what farmers especially and other food producers harvested from their farms and buy at profitable rates and sell back to the masses at subsidies rates.

 

He should also ensure that another way of compensating the poor for the crimes of the rich is to ensure that public education system is completely free from the nursery level to first degree level and other levels of education (from Masters’ to Ph.D level) should be generally available to those who can afford it.

We are particularly disappointed that Mr. President carried out his threat to remove fuel subsidy without adequate consultations with the various stakeholders and without considering the implications of the decision on the small scale enterprises and majority of our people who have been impoverished by the misgovernance imposed upon them by successive governments in the past.

 

 

The CACOL Boss added, “We would like to use this medium to call on the President to declare his assets, because he has come to equity and he should be seen to have come with clean hands. We want to know his assets and liabilities, and he should make it open to the generality of Nigerians. We are making this demand because we want him to run an open and participatory government and a government that is not shrouded in secrecy. He should also appoint people of competence and impeccable character so that there would be ‘right pegs in right holes’ so that at the end of the day, those of us who have reposed some level of confidence in him would know the indices and indicators we can use to appraise his government, whether to praise it or condemn it.”

 

“That we seem to be supporting his ascendancy doesn’t mean that when things are commendable we will not commend it and when they are condemnable we will actually condemn whatever misstep we identified.  We would also want him to make the implementation of his campaign promises to be SMART so that we may know the parameters to access his performance in office. ”

 

 

Tola Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

 

 

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9 Jun

CACOL CAUTIONS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OUTGOING GOVERNORS ON AWARD OF LAST MINUTE CONTRACTS AND APPROPRIATIONS

25th May, 2023

 

Press Release

 

CACOL CAUTIONS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OUTGOING GOVERNORS ON AWARD OF LAST MINUTE CONTRACTS AND APPROPRIATIONS

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has expressed reservations at the flagrant manner outgoing administration both at the federal and the state levels are awarding contracts, making appointments into sensitive positions and presenting supplementary budgets even at the eve of the expiration of their tenure of office.

 

In a release issued and signed by CACOL’s Director of Administration and Programmes Tola Oresanwo on behalf of the organisation’s Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated, “We cannot but add our voice to condemn the recent actions taken by the outgoing administrations at the federal and states level concerning last minute rush to award contracts, sign new laws, and make appointments into key positions while they are packing their bags and baggages.

 

We have noticed that this precedent was set by the President, Muhammadu Buhari who until now is still awarding contracts and making new appointments into some federal parastatals even at the twilight of his tenures. Most of the affected governors perhaps took the cue from President Muhammadu Buhari in his decision to take an $800 million loan from the World Bank to hand out in paltry doles to some poor Nigerians as a cushion against the impacts of the planned removal of subsidy for premium motor spirit (petrol) from June.

 

On the 10 of May, the federal government, rising from its weekly executive council meeting, announced the award of multi-million naira contracts for various ministries. The meeting approved a total of N327.34 billion for the ministries of transportation, sports, aviation, federal capital territory and for other works including Ogoni projects, IRS building in Abuja and Port Harcourt.

 

We have heard how some outgoing state governors are now enmeshed in this last minute rush to award contracts and sign new bills into law. Recently, outgoing Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku, made the headline news. First, he was reported to have approved N2 billion for the purchase of cars for himself and his deputy. As if that was not enough, the outgoing governor rushed to commission an uncompleted 500 units housing estate he started in 2017.

 

Also from Delta State came the news that the outgoing governor Ifeanyi Okowa, recently presented a N71 billion supplementary budget to the State House of Assembly. Mr Okowa sent the budget 14 days before the expiration of his two terms tenure. The supplementary budget was made up of N5.6 billion in recurrent expenditure and N65.5 billion in capital expenditure. The Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi’s also justified his own decision to seek a N33 billion loan to complete pending projects. Senator-elect and Sokoto State outgoing governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has also allegedly made appointments and approvals of huge sums of money after the general elections. In April, he gave approval for contract variation in sums amounting to N7 billion and has also appointed 23 new permanent secretaries and 15 director-generals in the state.

 

We perceive the development as booby traps for the incoming administrations, although the president-elect and governors-elect have not condemned these outrageous developments, probably because they are of the same parties with their soon-to-be predecessors or they had been helped in the elections.

 

“While CACOL as an anti-graft organization acknowledges the fact that government is a continuum, it behoves on the outgoing administrations to consider the impacts their current actions would have on the incoming administrations, especially when they will be at rein of power in matters of days. It will be sacrilegious for an outgoing administration to impose a burden too heavy to bear on an incoming administration. It is a known fact that most of the last minute appointments being made now would be replaced by the new administrations while some of the laws would be revoked.

 

The CACOL Boss added, “We would like to call on the President and the outgoing governors concerned to ensure judicious use of the funds or loans they have secured. They should also remember that they may be called upon to come and give account of their stewardship even after leaving office even as they must have lost their legal sheath popularly called “immunity”. We would also like to call on anti-graft agencies to beam their search lights on the loans being secured and appropriations being made by the outgoing administrations and ensure they are properly utilized, and they should not be slow to impose sanctions on anyone found wanton with the commonwealth of the people.”

 

 

 

Tola Oresanwo

Director (Administration and Programmes) CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

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9 Jun

ADAMAWA FIASCO: CACOL CALLS ON INEC TO INVESTIGATE ALL THOSE INVOLVED.

19th April, 2023

 

Press Release

 

ADAMAWA FIASCO: CACOL CALLS ON INEC TO INVESTIGATE ALL THOSE INVOLVED.

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate and possibly prosecute the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.

 

The call was premised on Yunusa-Ari’s declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, as the governor-elect in Saturday’s supplementary election. Yunusa-Ari had announced Binani as the winner of the supplementary polls while the collation of the results was underway, causing confusion in the state and drawing consternation across the country. However, according to the electoral law, the announcement should have been made by the returning officer of the election, who is a different person, usually an academic appointed by INEC for that purpose.

 

 In a press release issued by the anti-graft coalition’s Director for Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he noted, “Like every other democrat and peace-loving Nigerians, we were appalled by the drama played out in Adamawa state as an aftermath of the just concluded supplementary election in the state. The funny aspect of the whole drama is that the person who is supposed to be an unbiased arbiter and the repository of all electoral laws and guidelines in the state is the one at the centre of the melodrama.”

 

“It is a known fact that all the dramatis personae in the drama playing out in the state especially the politicians have their supporters who would want them to win at all cost but it is an anomaly to find an INEC official who is holding such a highly esteemed position in the middle of the storm.”

 

“We at CACOL, will like to reiterate that to protect the sanctity of the electoral process, INEC officials must be above board in all their dealings, they must be people whose hearts cannot be bought with money or other material things, they must also be patriotic individuals who will always put the interest of the country above their personal or selfish gains.

 

The anti-corruption Crusader said, “By his action, many voters in the state would have lost confidence in the whole election and their hope for a free, fair and transparent election would have been eroded.”

 

“We would therefore call on INEC not only to nullify the illegal declaration, and suspend the REC for Adamawa state but also take urgent actions to protect the integrity of the electoral process in the state. The Nigeria Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) should investigate what transpired during the Adamawa State supplementary governorship election in its entirety. The allegation that the REC received a two billion Naira (N2bn) bribe to announce Binani as the winner should be thoroughly investigated and anyone found culpable in the illegality including the security officers who aided and abetted the crime should be made to face the full wrath of the law. If Binani herself is involved, she should not be spared it doesn’t matter what moral meanings anyone could read into it, since nobody is above the law, once a crime has been proven to be committed, all those involved should be made to face the consequences of their actions no matter their status on the social ladder.”

 

 

Tola  Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

 

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9 Jun

CACOL BEMOANS CALL FOR INTERIM GOVERNMENT

1st April, 2023

 

Press Release

 

CACOL BEMOANS CALL FOR INTERIM GOVERNMENT

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL has bemoaned the recent call and agitations for interim government in the country.

 

In a release issued by its Director, Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo on behalf of the organization’s Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran he stated, “In the last few weeks, there had been calls by some unprincipled and dishonourable group of people for interim government to be installed instead of the democratically elected members of the executive arm of government.”

 

Recently, Nigeria’s secret police, the State Security Services (SSS), announced that some key players are plotting an unconstitutional interim government for Nigeria, confirming an alarm that had been raised weeks before the general elections. The agency said it considers the plot as an “aberration and a mischievous” way to set aside the constitution and undermine civil rule as well as plunge the country into an avoidable crisis.

 

According to the SSS, “the planners, in their many meetings, have weighed various options, which include, among others, sponsoring endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of State of Emergency and to obtain frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations and legislative houses at the Federal and State levels,”

 

The CACOL Boss added that “from all indications, it could be noticed that those calling and planning for the installation of interim government are enemies of the state who are bent on setting the nation on a backward spiral.  Anyone who calls or agitates for, or supports the installation of interim government would be working against the principle of democracy, which the President has vowed to uphold.

 

Since the conclusion of the Presidential election on February 25, 2023, and the winner of the election have been declared, it is illegal, unconstitutional and unlawful to call for the installation of any illegitimate government except the one known by the law of the land. We had earlier called on all aggrieved members of the society to approach the court of competent jurisdiction for proper adjudication of all matters resulting from the elections and allow peace to reign.

 

We at CACOL see the call for interim government as a joke taken too far. The call is divisive, senseless and a call to anarchy. We would like to use this medium to call on the government to arrest and prosecute anyone that may want to cause crises that would lead to the setting up of an interim government on May 29, 2023.

 

Tola Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

 

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9 Jun

ALLEGED ILLEGAL SALE OF 48 MILLION BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL WORTH $2.4 BILLION: CACOL BACKS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES’ PROBE.

28th March 2023

 

Press Release

 

ALLEGED ILLEGAL SALE OF 48 MILLION BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL WORTH $2.4 BILLION: CACOL BACKS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES’ PROBE.

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has thrown its weight behind the Nigerian House of Representatives bid to investigate the alleged illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil worth $2.4 billion.

 

In a release issued by CACOL and signed by Tola Oresanwo, the anti-corruption organization’s Director of Administration and Programmes, on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated, “We welcome the decision by the House of Representatives to investigate the alleged illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil worth $2.4 billion”.

 

It would be recalled that in December 2022, the house had set up an ad hoc committee to investigate a whistleblower’s claims that 48 million barrels of Bonny Light crude was illegally sold in China in 2015. The committee was also to investigate all crude oil exports and sales by Nigeria from 2014 till date.

 

To this end, the House Committee will on April 11, 2023, grill ministers and other heads of ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government as well as oil companies and banks over the alleged illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil valued at $2.4bn.

 

The CACOL Boss stated that “It is a known fact that even as government complains of dwindling revenue, there are so many avenues that revenues that are supposed to be remitted to government coffers are being siphoned. This alleged illegal sale of crude oil is one of them. Some Experts have come out to say that Nigeria losses about 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day to oil thieves. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) however admits losses of 470,000 barrels per day. While this discrepancy exists, what is, however certain is that much of our crude oil is stolen on a daily basis.”

 

“We at CACOL believe that the magnitude of Oil theft in Nigeria is so huge as a result of the systemic and pragmatic co-operation and connivance between security forces, militia organizations, the local population, and oil company employees who use a variety of methods to steal oil from the multinational oil corporations that are stationed within the country. Similarly, the lack of social welfare in Nigeria, the high poverty rate, and poor governance are elements that foster a positive environment for oil theft operations”.

 

The CACOL Boss further enthused, “we at CACOL commend the House of Representatives for this bold step. It is indeed a step in the right direction and we want them to make the report of their findings public so that every Nigerian will know who are behind the incessant oil theft in the country and anyone found culpable should be made to face the full wrath of the law to serve as deterrent to others. We would also use this medium to call for stronger legislation, strategies and mechanisms that will ensure nefarious acts like this are very difficult to carry out by the enemies of the state.”

 

 

Tola Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208.

 

 

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9 Jun

CACOL CONGRATULATES THE PRESIDENT-ELECT, ASHIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU

Friday, March 3, 2023.

 

 

His Excellency,

Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The President-Elect

Federal Republic of Nigeria

 

 

Your Excellency,

 

CACOL CONGRATULATES THE PRESIDENT-ELECT, ASHIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL writes to congratulate the President-Elect, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed for winning the keenly contested presidential election of our great country Nigeria.

 

Your emergence as the President-Elect marked another great milestone in the history of the country and it also shows the huge level of confidence reposed in you by the people.

 

We are particularly not surprised by your recent success at the polls because since you emergence as the flag bearer of your party the All Progressive Congress (APC), we had no doubt that you will come out victorious in the Presidential election.

 

History will not forget in a hurry the energy and vigour you devoted to political activism and democratic struggles and your labour of love which was manifested in raising numerous others who are doing well in our political space today.

 

With this victory, you have proved the ‘doubting Thomases’ who believed you will only record marginal success in the geopolitical zones where your political party held sway, wrong. You have also proved to the world that your claim of not losing any election right from the time you dabbled into politics is not a fluke.

 

We hope you will bring your years of experience and transformational leadership style to bear in governing the affairs of this great country. We also believe that your ability, capacity and strong managerial acumen will play a major role to transform the various sectors of our country and awaken the sleeping giant in Nigeria by turning the country into a major economic and agricultural hub of Africa.

 

As a true democrat, we hope you, with your team, will bring together all Nigerians irrespective of their tribal, political or religious affiliations so that Nigeria can continue on the path of unity, self-reliance, economic growth and development.

Accept the assurance of our high regards and recognition.

Congratulations.

Yours in Service to Humanity,

 

 

Debo Adeniran

Chairman, CACOL

08037194969,

dadnig@yahoo.com,

cacolc@yahoo.com,

www.deboadeniran.com

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27 Feb

2023 ELECTIONS: CACOL CALLS FOR CALM

23rd February, 2023

 

Press Release

 

2023 ELECTIONS: CACOL CALLS FOR CALM

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has enjoined Nigerians to remain calm in the midst of current challenges facing the nation even as the nation prepares for the forthcoming elections.

 

In a release issued by CACOL and signed by Tola Oresanwo, the anti-corruption organization’s Director, Administration and Programmes on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, stated that, “It would be recalled that the we have few days left before the presidential and parliamentary elections in Nigeria, It will be the largest democratic exercise on the continent as Africa’s most populous nation picks a new president. The election, as important as it is, would take place even as the country battles myriad economic and security problems that range from fuel and cash shortages to rising terror attacks, high inflation, and a plummeting local currency.”

 

Inasmuch as we would like to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its efforts to ensure a credible election through the adoption of innovative technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) we cannot but express concern about existing predicaments like logistical difficulties of fuel and cash scarcity that could impact the integrity of the elections.

 

We all know that Fuel shortages and scarcity of the newly redesigned local currency have stirred violent protests in parts of Nigeria as millions of people struggle to get their hands on new versions of banknotes. The rising security concerns and frequent attacks on INEC facilities in the country is a challenge to the safety of voters and the integrity of the forthcoming election which is poised to become a seminal moment in the country’s political history.

 

We at CACOL would like to use this medium to call on all stakeholders with one thing or the other to do with the upcoming elections to put in their best so that we can have free, fair, and transparent elections. We would also like to call on the citizens to remain calm and allow the government to fix the myriads of problems bedeviling the country.

 

The CACOL Boss added, “To the contestants to various elective positions, we want them to know that they can only represent the people in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, we need peaceful elections to give democracy a boost in the country, hence the need for all the candidates, the party chairmen and members of all political parties, to respect the voice of Nigerians and embraced the politics of peace.”

 

 

Mr. Tola Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

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27 Feb

BUHARI’S SPEECH: A PRECURSOR TO AUTOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

17th February, 2023

Press Release

 

BUHARI’S SPEECH: A PRECURSOR TO AUTOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL has bemoaned President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech in which he regarded the N500 and N1,000 notes has ceased to be a legal tender in the country.

In a release issued by its Director, Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo on behalf of the organization’s Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated, “In the last couple of weeks, Nigerians have been facing the reality of scarcity of cash. Our banks are overwhelmed by angry customers demanding money, the ATMs are flooded with furious Nigerians struggling to withdraw cash, and some spend the whole day hoping to get a few Naira notes to pay bills. POS operators complain of lack of money; a few have charged between 15% and 20% to customers to get some cash”.

But to make matters worse, President Buhari in his recent speech to the nation illegalizes the N500 and N1,000 notes despite the Supreme court ruling extending the period the notes can be in circulation.

The CACOL head noted that “The Supreme Court can make pronouncement even on the President or whatever policy that emanates from the executive and because the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is part of the executive, any pronouncement from the Apex court relating to the monetary policy of the land in particular and the CBN in general must be obeyed to the latter. The presidency is fast turning itself to the Judiciary. Since the pronouncement has ordinarily extended the period with which the old naira notes could be used, the president doesn’t have to review it pending the ruling of the Supreme Court. What the president has done is tantamount to contempt of court which is a kind of impunity and it is a precursor to rule of the thumb instead of rule of law”

Moreover, the principle of separation of powers clearly defines the limit of each arm of government. Taking the President’s speech into context, it shows president Buhari is gravitating towards dictatorship. The President ought to know by now that he cannot and he is not in a position to nullify the decision of the Supreme Court. If the executive is not pleased with the decision of the Court, the Attorney General of the Federation has the opportunity of going back to the Supreme Court to ask for a review of the earlier decision not that by Presidential fiat he would kind of set it aside without going back to the court.

Furthermore, the Attorney General who is supposed to be the Chief Legal Adviser in this administration doesn’t seem to deserve his license to operate as a legal practitioner anymore as he has become an embarrassment to the legal profession which he claims to represent. His credentials should be recalled and he should be sanctioned by the Body of Benchers.

The nonchalant attitude of the government which was displayed by the carefree speech delivered by the president has heightened the initial protests to full-blown riots in different parts of the country as we speak and the country is sliding rapidly into a state of anarchy. State governors are now giving counter directives to citizens of their states on what to do with the old notes and if different states are carrying out different policies as diverse and distinct from that at the centre then we can say that a state of anomie is imminent.

We at CACOL will like to use this medium to implore all stakeholders to respect the rule of law and the principle of separation of powers while urging the citizens to remain calm in the midst of the present uncertainties and allow the government to find a lasting solution to the present impasse.

Tola Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

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