Yahaya Bello Wasted Kogi’s N12m On ‘Ignorant Attorney-General’, Say Saraki, Ekweremadu

The pair equally knocked the Attorney General of Kogi State, Mr. Ibrahim Sani Muhammed, over his criticism of Senate’s backing of the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District.

Muhammed had placed a three-page advertorial on over five National dailies, which Ekweremadu estimated as costing about N12 million on an average of N700,000 each.

The Deputy Senate President, at today’s plenary, referred the Senate to the advertorials where Muhammed, citing section 68 and 69 of the Constitution, said “the Senate has no role whatsoever in the recall exercise than to receive the certificate of under the hand of the Chairman of INEC.”

Ekweremadu, in his estimate said, “They spent about N700,000 on each advertorial and I understand that it is in about five other papers so we are looking at about N12m spent to responding to my comment.”

“I expect the Attorney-General, instead of displaying his ignorance, to simply call me and I will educate him on the position of the law,”he said.

Speaking further, Ekweremadu said, “I stand by what I said the other day and I still like to take him to Section 68(2) of the Constitution to show the role of the Senate, if he is saying we don’t have any role. He surreptitiously refused to cite sub-section 2 or, probably out of ignorance, he did not put Section 68(2).

“I don’t know how he came to the conclusion that we do not have any role to play. I stand by my position that when INEC is through with any recall process, they must write the Senate President who will read it to us and we must be satisfied that the provisions of Section 69 in reference to recall have been fully complied with.

“I pity the people of Kogi State who hired his kind of attorney-general. It is unfortunate that they are paying a public servant and he is unable to do a simple work of looking at the Constitution.

“Let me also emphasise that this Section 68(2) is not part of the amendments we have made since 1999; this has been the original provision of the Constitution; we did not invent it and it has nothing to do with Dino. We inherited it since 1999.

“So, for him not to know about it; I don’t know where he went to law school, anyway. If he had been properly educated, he should have been conversant with the basic provisions of the Constitution. I also don’t know his age at the bar but, apparently, I know that I am his senior at the bar and I expect him to show some respect to his senior. That is what we were taught at the law school.”

On his part, Saraki expressed worry over “the calibre of people put in very serious positions in government.”

“What is even more disturbing and irresponsible is how they have spent over N10m on adverts.

“It is an issue that I don’t see the involvement of government in it. This even shows that it is the government that is truly behind this entire process; when a government can take an advert on an issue like this.

“I think, sincerely, there is a necessary need for some of the people who are appointed or elected into positions to show some level of responsibility. This is a simple matter that is stated in the Constitution. It is very unfortunate for the people of Kogi State,” said the Senate President.