The senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, said yesterday
that last week’s Senate’s clearance of former Rivers Governor Rotimi
Amaechi as a minister was not a tacit endorsement of corruption.
Sani spoke during a visit to ailing Abdulkareem Albashir, a veteran
journalist and columnist, during which he offered to settle his medical
bills and procure an artificial limb for him.
He noted that the allegation of corruption against the former
governor remained a mere accusation until proven otherwise in court.
The All Progressives Congress’ (APC) position on corruption
allegation is that it is still an allegation and the issue is still in
court which the Senate committee should not have entertained in the
first place.
“In the general sense, we are duty bound to protect the interest of
someone in our party and the opposition has the right to object to
whoever is presented.
“In the broader sense, Nigerians and posterity will judge whether our
approval of Amaechi was a tacit endorsement of corruption because the
issues raised were not enough to stop his confirmation.
“But we must also understand that even if you are made a minister and you get convicted, the law will take its course.
“Certainly if he is found guilty, he would not continue to serve as
minister under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration,” the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the senator as saying.
On the walkout by the opposition senators under the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Sani said their action was part of democracy.
His words: “I think nothing is wrong with that. I see the walkout by the PDP senators as history repeating itself.
“Opposition senators walked out when Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro was
brought in for screening for ministerial position by the previous
administration.
“You remember that their protest did not stop the ruling party from having its way.”
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