Senate invokes constitution, sacks Umar as CCT chairman

Senate on Wednesday invoked the provisions of Section 157 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended and sacked Yakubu Danladi Umar as the chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT for what it described as unacceptable acts of misconduct.

The resolution was sequel to the support of two-thirds majority of the Red Chamber as 74 senators signed, 10 senators present, totally 84 and would be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for official removal of Umar and resumption of Mr. Abdullahi Usman Bello as the new substantive chairman of the Tribunal.

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio pronounced the removal after the lawmakers went into a closed doors session at 1.17pm on the matter that was listed as the first motion on the Order Paper in the name of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central).

The Senate Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC Borno North), after the closed door session at 2.36pm, moved that the action can be carried out in line with Section 157 (1) of the Constitution.

According to Senator Bamidele, the motion, titled, “Invocation of the provision of Section 157 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended for the removal of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT “is one of the key components of federal institutions in the country, saddled with the sacred statutory responsibilities of maintaining high standard of morality in the conduct of government business and to ensure that the actions and behaviours of public officers conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability.”

The Senate Leader said that as a statutory institution of such magnitude, the Tribunal is expected to be an epitome of moral rectitude and should be seen to uphold the virtues of integrity, probity and accountability.

He, however, maintained that the conduct of Umar, who is the chairman of the CCT has “fallen short of the requisite standard of a public officer to conduct the affairs of such Tribunal.”

Senator Bamidele informed that the Senate has been inundated with series of petitions and allegations of corruption/misconduct against the chairman, a situation that necessitated the 9th Senate, through the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions to invite him to series of its investigative hearings in order to unravel the circumstances surrounding those allegations.

“However, he appeared before the Committee only once and thereafter avoided subsequent invitations,” Senator Bamidele said

He also expressed the concerned of Senate about Umar’s alleged absenteeism from office for more than one month, without permission and recuse to his position, coupled with preponderance of corruption allegation, misappropriation, and physical street brawl with a security man in the FCT vis-à-vis his current investigation by the EFCC, ICPC and the DSS.

All these, he added were tantamount to acts of negligence and gross misconduct, unbecoming of a chairman of such a reputable Tribunal.