News

Again, Sagay rips into NASS, reveals PACAC plan for banker collaborators

Published

9 years ago

September 6, 2017

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay has alleged collusion of lawyers, judges, lawmakers, and bank chiefs working with looters to frustrate President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war.

Sagay said PACAC will push for the prosecution of those bankers.

According to him, the monstrous epidemic of high-profile corruption could not have afflicted Nigeria without bankers’ collusion.

“In my own little way, we are going to push for the prosecution of such bank chiefs. They must be prosecuted,” Sagay said at a public lecture in Lagos on the topic: The many afflictions of the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria.

It was organized by the Nigerian Society of International Law.

Sagay said the National Assembly comprises self-serving lawmakers who allocated N125 billion to themselves alone this year.

ALSO SEE: Probe my tenure of corruption if you have facts – Gov. Lalong

He said while the United States President earns $400,000 per annum, a Nigerian senator earns over $1.7 million.

Sagay said besides a basic salary of N2.4 million per month, they earn allowances such as hardship (50 percent of basic salary), newspaper allowance (50 percent), wardrobe allowance (25 percent), entertainment (30 percent), recess (10 percent), and leave (10 percent), among others.

The total allowances, he said, amounts to N29.5 million per month and N3.2 billion per annum.

“Perhaps the most notorious example of the legislators’ resistance to the war against corruption is the rejection of the right of the executive to choose the persons who will spearhead that struggle,” he added.

“The clear impression is created that Nigerian legislators are in office for themselves and not for the populace.”

“Not surprisingly, the National Assembly has not passed a single bill for the promotion of anti-corruption war since it commenced business in July 2015. The Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, the Proceeds of Crime Bill, and the Special Criminal Court Bill remain in a virtual state of stagnation.”

“What evidence do we need to establish the hostility of the Eighth Assembly to the anti-corruption war?” Sagay said.

The law professor has been at verbal war with the National Assembly over their rejection of EFCC Ag, Chair Ibrahim Magu as the agency’s substantive boss.

The federal lawmakers once invited him to come and apologise for his remarks the found uncomplimentary, but Sagay threatened to sue them if they harass him over his freedom of expression.