The Senate has sacked the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, over alleged gross misconduct.
This decision was made under Section 157(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended), which empowers the Senate to remove key public officials following due process.
Danladi Umar’s final fall followed a closed-door session lasting over one and a half hours.
On resumption of plenary, the Senate announced that more than 84 lawmakers supported the decision.
The motion leading to his removal was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who highlighted the pivotal role of the CCT in maintaining high standards of morality and accountability in government.
Bamidele stated, “The Code of Conduct Tribunal, as a statutory institution, is expected to uphold virtues of integrity, probity, and accountability”, adding that a statutory institution of such magnitude is expected to be an epitome of moral rectitude and “should be seen to uphold the virtues of integrity, probity and accountability.
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According to him however, ‘the conduct of Mr Yakubu Panladi Umar, who is the Chairman of the Tribunal, has fallen short of the requisite standard of a public officer to conduct the affairs of such Tribunal.”
Senator Bamidele further pointed out 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.
Umar was said to have appeared before the Committee only once and thereafter avoided subsequent invitations.
“Also concerned about his 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 are tantamount to acts of negligence and gross misconduct, unbecoming of a Chairman of such a reputable Tribunal; “Aware of the series of overwhelming allegations against the Chairman, Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, forwarded the name of Mr Abdullahi Usman Bello to the Senate for confirmation as the new Chairman of the Tribunal, and at the Plenary Sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 4th July 2024, his appointment was duly confirmed, hence the need for the erstwhile Chairman to vacate the office for the substantive Chairman to officially resume office, ” Bamidele concluded.
Credits: The PUNCH
