A human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana has criticised the stance of President Goodluck Jonathan on the war against corruption across the country, even as he warned against short-circuiting the crusade at the instance of party politicking.
Falana, in a statement sent to LEADERSHIP yesterday, picked holes in the selection of supposed loyalists of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take up board appointments in the anti-graft commission.
Falana also condemned the appointment of the former speaker of the PDP-dominated Cross River State House of Assembly as a resident electoral commissioner (REC).
The statement reads in part, “In his inaugural address on May 29, 2011, President Jonathan undertook to reinvigorate the fight against corruption. But apart from the indictment of the anti-graft agencies for incompetence by the federal government, no action has been taken to reorganise them for effective performance. The list of nominees sent to the Senate last week for confirmation as ICPC board members has clearly shown that the Jonathan administration is not committed to the anti-corruption crusade.
Corruption cannot be fought by party loyalists. The presidency should withdraw the list and replace the nominees with Nigerians of proven integrity.
“In the same vein, the president has also nominated PDP loyalists as resident electoral commissioners. In fact, one of them was the former speaker of the PDP-dominated Cross River State House of Assembly.”
He argued that Jonathan was violating the 1999 Constitution regarding the appointment of a politician to fill the slot of a REC, and urged a redress.
“In view of paragraph F of the third schedule to the amended constitution which stipulates that no member of a political party shall be qualified to be a resident electoral commissioner (REC), the presidency should advertise the 13 vacancies in INEC, in line with the recommendations of the Muhammadu Uwais Panel,” he said. ?