By Doyin Ojosipe
A Coalition of eight Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has called on the President, Mohammadu Buhari, to consider the appointment of a new Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) who has integrity and the interest of the people at heart.
The CSOs made the call at a joint press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
Addressing Journalists at the event, the Convener of Say No Champaign, Ezenwa Nwaugwu, who spoke on behalf of the CSOs, pointed out that the body language and actions of the present AGF, Abubakar Malami, in the past three years has smeared the anti-corruption campaign of the Federal Government, ignoring the rule of law and justice to the people of Nigeria.
He noted that while Nigerians have continued to languish in deprivation, corrupt public officials who defrauded them through massive looting of public funds had been allowed to escape without any form of punishment.
Ezenwa said, “One of the greatest disappointments in the fight against corruption under this administration has come from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, whose actions and inactions have continued to bring shame to the proclaimed anticorruption campaign of the administration and huge losses to Nigeria.”
According to the CSOs, while statutory provisions as contained in sections 174(1) (2) and (3) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, stated that the AGF in his dealings should be a good advocate of the rule of law, delivering justice to the people, the actions of the AGF has really gone contrary to these provisions.
They alleged that the AGF had worked to frustrate high profile corruption cases involving top government Officials, shielding them from being investigated.
“We recall the shady deal involving the minister which led to the approval for payment of a highly controversial and contentious $17 million to two lawyers for an already concluded deal on the repatriation of the Abacha loot from the Swiss Bank.
“There are many reported cases of undue meddling and interference by the attorney general to gag and muzzle the anticorruption agencies and force discontinuation of investigations and prosecutions of high profile government officials,
“A case in point is the Malabu scandal involving former Oil Minister Dan Etete, Eni and Shell in a heist allegedly resulting in a loss of more than $US1billion to Nigeria,” they said.
The Coalition also urged the President to “Immediately relieve and replace the current Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Malami, in order to salvage the fight against corruption and recover public confidence and support for the fight against corruption.”
They also advised that the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice be separated for the anti-corruption fight to record meaningful success.
The CSOs include SAY NO CAMPAIGN, YES Project, YIAGA AFRICA, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), The Cable, Action Aid Nigeria and Lawyers’ Network Against Corruption (LAWNAC) made the call after an extensive audit of the AGF’s performance with regard to the anti-graft war in the country over the past three years.
