The Northern Youth Democratic Movement, Arewa Voters Assembly and the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) have demanded the immediate resignation of the chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Justice Danladi Umar over allegations of corruption.
A joint statement by the Northern Youth Democratic Movement (NYDM) and the Arewa Voters Assembly (AVA) said the outcry against the CCT boss was too weighty to be ignored especially on the recent revelation by Mr Rasheed Taiwo, former Deputy Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
“We are compelled to state that the allegations against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal Mr Danladi Umar, ranging from bribery, corruption, misappropriation of public funds, criminal conspiracy for self enrichment and fictitious contracts for the supply of furniture and fittings in the sum of N11.4 million among other allegations are indeed very weighty,” the statement signed by Ismail Ibrahim Bakori and Musa Abdullahi Musa, leaders of the two groups said.
It added that with one Ali Abdullahi an accomplice at the same time Justice Umar’s personal assistant was prosecuted for the same offence, adding that it was sad that former President Goodluck Jonathan failed to take actions even in the face of available evidences against him.
On its part HURIWA said it cannot ignore allegations of corruption against the judge by a non-governmental organization, the Registered Trustees of the Mission for Peace and Development Initiative who last week filed a suit seeking an order of an Abuja Federal High Court to remove the CCT boss over allegations of corruption.
National Coordinator of the organisation Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said in Abuja that it is imperative for the CCT boss to resign as he being the head of an important organisation handling corruption cases cannot be accused of corruption and still stay put to try corruption cases of others.
He therefore asked the EFCC to re-open the case against the CCT chairman which it has since concluded investigation on the alleged bribery.
