Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to order a second probe of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano.
The governor is already being probed by Kano House of Assembly over the widely circulating video clips allegedly showing Ganduje receiving bribe.
SERAP asked the president to direct the attorney general of the federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to also investigate the allegations.
“If there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, Ganduje should face prosecution at the expiration of his tenure as governor.”
The organisation also urged the government “to instruct the Attorney General and/or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to ensure the protection and guarantee the safety and security of journalist Jafar Jafar, who reportedly published the video clips.”
In the open letter dated 2 November 2018 and signed by SERAP senior legal adviser Bamisope Adeyanju, the organisation said: “Given the history of corruption in Nigeria, especially unresolved allegations of grand corruption against many state governors, your government cannot and should not look the other way regarding the allegations against Ganduje.
The body said: “Any allegations of bribery and abuse of power in any state of Nigeria is of concern to every Nigerian, and should therefore, be of concern to your government.”
“The obligations of your government to combat corruption in Nigeria extend to all the three tiers of government, namely, the federal government, state government and local government.
“Although primarily a matter of concern for Kano State, the allegations of bribery against Mr Ganduje have assumed such a proportion as to become a matter of concern to the federation as a whole, and therefore, to your government.”
The organization asked the government to “take the recommended steps within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, failing which SERAP will institute legal proceedings to compel your government to act in the public interest.”
“Taking the recommended steps would help to enhance your government’s fight against corruption and contribute hugely to promoting the public interest, the interest of justice as well as prevent any abuse of the legal process. Any failure and/or refusal to act would undermine the goal of your government’s anti-corruption fight and tacitly serve to encourage persistent allegations of corruption among many state governors to continue with almost absolute impunity.”
Meanwhile, we had reported that the governor of Kano, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, told the state House of Assembly he does not know anything in relation to the trending videos of his alleged receipt of bribes from contractors carrying out projects.
Testifying before the House committee, Ganduje said the allegation against him were injurious to his person. The governor said the video clips released by the publisher of Daily Nigerian was aimed at tarnishing his image politically.
Speaking on behalf of the governor, the commissioner of information, Muhammad Garba, who represented Ganduje, said he was at the assembly complex to represent the governor due to the options provided by the committee in its letter.
The governor, in the document presented before the committee, had denied collecting the bribe from the contractor as alleged by the publisher of the online newspaper.
