Call for Decree 2 was made out of joke – CCT boss

Danladi Umar, chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), says the statement credited to him on the call for reintroduction of Decree 2, was made out of joke, and not to intimidate any anyone from observing his/her statutory functions as mandated by the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, as anchored in liberal democratic society like ours.

Before the controversial statement on Decree 2, Umar, also after granting the request of learned Kanu Agabi, lead counsel to the Senate president, to seek medical attention, had in a lighter mood recommended to Agabi to take a ‘rest at Transcorp Hilton.’

According to a statement from Ibrahim Al-Hassan, head, media and publicity of the CCT, the area that needed explanation also is the warning the chairman passed to the general public in court, upon complain by Rotimi Jacobs, which he said somebody from the gallery unruly remarked that he should ‘sit down.’

“Then the chairman threatened that whoever makes any comment, when counsels are making submission for or against, would be committed for contempt. He is not specifically directed at the distinguished senators, as widely reported.

“The underlining issues here to look at, is the remarks according to the lead prosecution counsel, Jacobs, was coming from the gallery and since the commencement of this trial, the distinguished senators in company of Senate president, to my knowledge, never sat at the gallery of the tribunal’s courtroom,” he said.

However, BusinessDay can authoritatively report that, when the chairman was putting out this word of caution, he was not facing the gallery as stated in the statement, even though he referred to the people at the gallery, rather he faced the section where the senators sat and said: “I see them and I know them very well, if anyone of you makes any remark at whatever the tribunal says, I will not hesitate to use the law.”

It is worthy of note that, the senators and most of Saraki’s supporters have always been in the habit of murmuring and making unnecessary noise, at whatever assertion made by the tribunal or the prosecution, which the tribunal itself has overtime, failed to enforce its contempt proceedings against erring members of the outer bar.