Petitioner In N10m Bribe Allegation Against Code Of Conduct Chairman Fails

Petitioner In N10m Bribe Allegation Against Code Of Conduct Chairman Fails To Show Up At Hearing

A man who accused Danladi Yakubu Umar, the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), of demanding a N10 million bribe declined to show up at a public hearing held yesterday by the House of Representatives Committee on public petitions at the National Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

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A man who accused Danladi Yakubu Umar, the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), of demanding a N10 million bribe declined to show up at a public hearing held yesterday by the House of Representatives Committee on public petitions at the National Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.    

Danladi Yakubu Umar                                                   

The petitioner, Ikenna Ekezie, and his lawyer, Osuagwu Ugochukwu, were conspicuously absent at the venue of the hearing, even though they had been fully notified by the committee. Meanwhile the CCT chairman, Mr. Umar, arrived at the public hearing with large number of lawyers and documents meant to refute the bribe allegation. But the committee prevented the CCT chairman from making any presentation because of the petitioner’s absence.                                              

The chairman of the public petitions committee, Nkem Uzoma Abonta, adjourned its sitting to December 9 and 10 to enable the petitioner to appear. He stated that the spirit of fairness dictated that the petitioner be present to either defend or substantiate evidence. .                                    
A group known as Anti-Corruption Network had written a petition against the CCT chairman alleging Mr. Umar of receiving N10 million bribe and misappropriating N522.6 million allocated to the tribunal in the 2013 budget.
Mr. Umar is currently presiding over the Code of Conduct Tribunal that is trying Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over alleged false declaration of assets.