Itse Sagay’s Sack From UNIBEN Unsurprising, Buhari Should Fire Him – Legislative Watch

Owing to his “unpopular legal opinion” asking for the probe of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Legislative Watch has called for the presidential adviser’s sack.

Hon Ngozika Ihuoma, the Executive Secretary of the Legislative Watch, said instead of bringing scholarly counsel to the table, Prof. Sagay has rather constituted a nuisance in the Buhari-led government.

Calling for the immediate Sack of the Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Ihuoma slammed Sagay’s comment on Malami’s official handling of the Abdulrasheed Maina saga.

In a release availed The WHISTLER, the Legislative Watch ES said Sagay’s alleged sack from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) was logical as the PACAC Chairman is known for interpreting the constitution to suit his alleged “shallow knowledge”.

The statement reads:

“We are concerned that Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) in the last 2½ years of being appointed to chair an Advisory Committee Against Corruption by Mr. President has only succeeded in bringing shame to the APC-led Federal Government by holding unpopular legal opinions as well as interpreting the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to suit his shallow knowledge, a function dully reserved for the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“Constitutional crisis and near head-on collusion: We are worried that such un-informed legal opinion of Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) has led to serious constitutional crisis and near head-on collusion by various arms of government in this dispensation –

1. Senate vs Executive over the powers of confirmation of certain appointees of Mr. President by the Senate based on Section 171 (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as at) not minding the powers of the National Assembly to enact Laws to enhance good governance as provided in Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended);

2. Executive vs Judiciary in the powers of National Judicial Council (NJC) to discipline erring judicial officers in line with Section 153 (i) and Third Schedule paragraph 21 (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The now famous mid-night raid on the official residence of some judges by EFCC & DSS is a case in question of Sagay’s miss-advice;

3. Executive vs APC in the manner of recruitment of members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the opposition parties which the individual right of such persons tto join, cross carpet and remain in any party of choice is guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in Section 221 to 229.

4. Evidence abound of Prof. Itse Sagay querying the All Progressive Congress Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun for admitting persons facing trial but not convicted into the party thereby infringing on peoples’ right to freedom of association as captured in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) by not disobeying the resolutions of the National Assembly on certain conducts inimical to good governance and separation of powers by the three arms of government. The continued stay in office of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the Acting Chairman of EFCC not minding his being rejected twice by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in accordance with the Act Establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 2002 OR 2004 among others?

5. Today, Monetary Policy Committee Meeting of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) cannot meet due to the non-confirmation of members of Board of CBN in line with the CBN ACT 2007 by the Senate. Thanks to Sagay’s ill advice.

“Falana and illegal acquisition of an exhibit: We are disappointed that Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) has not found his voice in condemning the actions of one of his close associates Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) in the matter of illegal acquisition of an exhibit (property) in the on-going trial of suspected “Pension thieves” arrested by the Abdulrasheed Maina-led Presidential Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), thereby obstructing the well of justice in securing conviction by the EFCC since 2011 to date.

“Stop embarrassing FG: Such unprofessional activities of Prof. Itse Sagay’s allies does not call for probe by Mr. President; it is the meeting of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Hon. Minister of Justice and the National Security Adviser (NSA) with Maina in Dubai in 2016, which was sanctioned by Mr. President and the result is the recovery of a whooping sum of N1.3 trillion from pension thieves and “evil servant collaborators” back to the treasury and more in 2017. What an irony that whereas Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) has caused a lot of embarrassment to Mr. President and the APC-led Federal Government since his ill-advised appointment as Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC); Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) has helped Mr. President and the APC-led Federal Government to recover over N2.58 trillion of funds already stolen by pension thieves and evil servants following his well advised meeting with Mr. Maina in company of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in Dubai in 2016 – date.

“Maina is not a fugitive: We are proud that Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) is discharging his duties as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Hon. Minister of Justice in ensuring that the judgment secured on 27th March, 2013, by Abdulrasheed A. Maina (Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team) against the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which the past administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR failed to obey is now activated following the complaint by Barrister Okoi Onyemah of Restoration Chambers, Counsel to Maina and reprieve coming the way of a worthy civil servant and his team as people capable of assisting Mr. President and the APC-led government in the fight against corruption not minding needless media trial by Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) led miss-advisers of President Muhammadu Buhari in the last 2½ years.

“Why was he sacked by Uniben in the 1990s? For the avoidance of doubt, Maina is not a fugitive as described by Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) in his jaundiced phone interview to the Punch Newspaper. His unsolicited advice to Mr. President should not include disobedience to court judgments, which he is known to preach since his days as a lecturer In University of Benin leading to his sack in the 1990s.

“Those who live in glass house should not throw stones. Elder Statesmen should be an example in character and learning. Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) should know better.”