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Senate President Bukola Saraki denies 13 charges of corruption by code of conduct bureau 

Published

9 years ago

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After code of conduct bureau released their statements earlier this morning saying Bukola lied about his assets declaration, the senate president has reacted to the allegations in a press statement released this afternoon, 

Saraki said all the allegations were false, incorrect and untrue. The Press statement below… The attention of Dr. Bukola Saraki, President of the Senate, has been drawn to a charge sheet being widely circulated on the online media, upon which he is expected to be tried at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). 

It should be noted that at the time of writing this statement (10.00am on September 16, 2015), Dr. Saraki has not been served the court process. However, we recognise that as a public officer, he owes members of the public explanation on the allegations contained in the charge sheet. 

We therefore state as follows:

1. That all the claims contained in the charge sheet are false, incorrect and untrue.

2. That Dr. Saraki has consistently declared his assets as required by law at every point before resuming any political office and that of 2015 is not an exception. It is surprising that the alleged charges is now referring his asset declaration made in 2003 while in office as Governor of Kwara State to formulate their charges. They therefore ignored the recent declaration for which they last week issued an acknowledgement.

3. That we believe that the Code of Conduct Bureau following their processes in which after a declaration is submitted to the bureau they carried out verification of the assets and ascertained the claims made, should not wait till 12 years later to be pointing out an alleged inconsistencies in a document submitted to it in 2003. This same Dr. Saraki submitted asset declaration form in 2007, 2011 and 2015. It is unexplainable that the case in question is now based on the 2003 declaration.

4. This is why we are of the opinion that present effort is a desperate move initiated due to external influence and interference.

5. It should also be noted that contrary to the procedure indicated in the law setting up the CCB, the bureau never wrote to Dr. Saraki to complain of any inconsistency in his asset declaration forms.

6. It should also be noted that Dr. Saraki as Governor of Kwara State never operated a foreign account.

7. That some of the issues contained in the charge sheet are subjects of earlier decided and on-going Court cases. We therefore believe those behind filing of these charges are engaging in forum-shopping.

8. It should be noted that we do not know on whose authority these charges are filed when the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act clearly indicate that any prosecution must be authorised by an Attorney General and we know the nation last had an AG in May 2015. This is another clear indication that the CCT is acting under influence from outside its domain and therefore ready to bend the rules to achieve this obnoxious objective

9. We therefore conclude that this is not an anti corruption driven case and cannot be part of the moves aimed at fighting corruption. It is simply a pure malicious and politically motivated prosecution aimed at undermining the person and office of the Senate President.

10. That those behind this plot will definitely meet Dr. Saraki in court as this case which is based on outright fabrication and mischief will not and cannot stand the test of justice.

11. it should be noted that throughout his career as a public official democratically elected to high public service, Dr Saraki has always held himself, to global standards of transparency and accountability, to a far higher standard of diligence, disclosure, and compliance, than required or even requested by Nigeria’s Code Of Conduct protocols. Thus, Dr Saraki has always, lawfully and accountably, declared his assets, both directly owned, and in which he may derive any historical and on-going degree of beneficial interest. 

12. In view of the above, Senator Saraki hereby affirms his belief in the justice system and that when the proposed case comes to the tribunal, he will diligently state his case. He is also ready to co-operate with the Tribunal and other lawful government agencies in the bid to genuinely fight corruption and eliminate impunity in our public affairs.

13. We also note that anytime you try to fight corruption or insist that the right thing should be done, the system will always come after you. This is another case of desperation to fight Dr. Saraki because of his recent stance on national issues.

Media Office of The Senate President
*Assets declaration season two. Eni wo tan

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Rihanna seeks Ayra Starr collaboration — after working with Tems

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13 hours ago

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April 18, 2024 4:25 pm

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Rihanna, the award-winning Barbadian music star, says she wants to work with Ayra Starr, the Nigerian singer.

The music stars recently met at the Fenty X Puma party in London, where they both exchanged pleasantries.

During the chat, Starr told the ‘Umbrella’ hitmaker that Barbados, Rihanna’s home country, is her “favourite place in the world”.

Oh her part, Rihanna confessed she had only heard of Starr through her cousin’s obsession with her music.

“I have been hearing of Ayra Starr, I did not know who but my cousin she was like, ‘Oh my God I got this from Ayra Starr.’ She was obsessed with you,” she said.

She also inquired if the Nigerian songstress has a project with Tems, her colleague.

Starr confirmed that collaborations are in the works, but none have been released yet.

Rihanna responded by playfully expressing her interest in collaborating with the singer, saying, “You got an extra verse for me? Call me”.

In 2022, Rihanna collaborated with Tems, who contributed to the writing of ‘Lift Me Up’, the celestial ballad for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

Starr previously expressed her desire to collaborate with Rihanna, describing the US singer as her “queen”.

She added that she loves her music, stating it boosts her confidence.

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Celebrities

‘Not see you for 6 months, impossible’ — Davido reacts to Cubana Chief Priest’s bail

Published

2 days ago

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April 17, 2024 3:37 pm

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Davido, the Afrobeats star, has shown his support for Cubana Chief Priest after the nightlife promoter was granted bail by a Lagos court.

On Tuesday, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives filed a three-count charge against the social media celebrity over alleged naira abuse.

Cubana, born Pascal Okechukwu, is accused of spraying and tampering with the naira at a social event — contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

He was later arraigned at the federal high court in Lagos.

When the charges were read during court sitting, the social media celebrity pleaded not guilty to them.

Kehinde Ogundare, the judge, thereafter granted him bail in the sum of N10 million with two responsible sureties in like sum.

The judge ruled that the bail conditions must be perfected within seven days.

Cubana was released to his lawyer who must give an undertaken to produce him later. He will be remanded in a correctional facility if his lawyer fails to do so.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the nightlife promoter thanked his supporters for their show of love during the trial.

“Seeing all your messages and love, I am so humbled. Now it is confirmed CP no small. Money na water,” he wrote.

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Kai Cenat threatens to sue OnlyFans model, Layla Red who leaked their chats

Published

3 days ago

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April 16, 2024 11:52 am

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Twitch streamer Kai Cenat is poised to initiate legal action against OnlyFans model Layla Red, who allegedly leaked his private images and messages.

According to the claims, Layla Red released conversations showing Cenat agreeing to pay $5,000 for sexual services, leading to her Instagram account being suspended soon after. Addressing the matter during a recent Twitch stream, Cenat assured his viewers that he would tackle the issue through legal means, maintaining his composure throughout the broadcast.

In his first appearance on Twitch following the scandal, Cenat remained unruffled by the allegations, confidently informing his audience about his plans to pursue legal recourse. “There is some dumb shit, clout-chasing weird ass shit going on right now bro. But it’s alright though, it’s alright chat. I’ll see you in court,” he announced.

Cenat also expressed a desire to clear up the situation, urging his viewers to hear his side of the story. “Got you! Okay? Listen to me, okay? I can explain, bro. Listen to me chat, okay, I can explain,” he remarked during the stream. He described the leak as an attempt to gain notoriety, noting that the referenced incidents took place early in 2023.

“There is some weird shit going on right now, some weird clout chasing shit going right now, bro. And you know what’s so crazy? Do you know that shit was in the beginning of 2023? All that shit that you guys see right now is 2023 shit bro, you feel me? Like, goddamn, bro,” he explained.

Shifting away from the controversy, Cenat later encouraged a lighter tone in the conversation. “But yeah, we are not going to talk about it no more. Let’s talk about flowers, rainbows, Ice Spice, come on,” he suggested, steering the dialogue away from the contentious issue.

If the case proceeds to court, it could potentially be treated as a matter of revenge porn, which involves the unauthorised distribution of intimate images or videos with the intention to harm, embarrass, or distress the individual depicted.

Should it be proven that the images and messages were shared without Cenat’s consent and intended to damage his reputation or cause distress, it could fulfil the legal requirements for a revenge porn case. Further evidence of malicious intent or exploitation by Layla Red could also strengthen this claim.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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