CNPP renews demand for separation of Attorney-General office from Minister of Justice

• Berates Malami over $418m Paris Club Consultants request

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has reiterated the call for the separation of the office of the Attorney-General from the office of the Minister of Justice.

The CNPP in a statement by the Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, chided the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, over his special interest in the controversial $418 million refund requested by consultants on the Paris Club refund, which is being challenged by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

The Conference, which represents all registered political parties and political associations in the Nigeria, expressed support for  the governors of the 36 states of the federation on the accusation that Malami has more than passing interest in the in the refund being requested.

the CNPP noted that the insistence by the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney-General Office and Minister of Justice that the deduction was lawful is loud enough to convince any discerning citizen.

The CNPP protested that despite the fact that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on Friday barred the Federal Government from deducting $418 million from the bank accounts of the 36 states of the federation, the Attorney-General Office and Minister of Justice has continued to insist on the deductions.

“If there is a time the office of the Attorney-General and that of the Minister of Justice should be separated, it is now.

“The current Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has bastardized the office of the Minister of Justice. His defence of government actions and inactions has not only made him unfit to hold the two offices.

“Mr. Malami has made several utterances that have portrayed him as a biased Chief Law Officer of the federation”

“The CNPP therefore stand with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum on their position that Mr. Malami has a vested interest in the money being requested by the consultants”, the CNPP declared.