NAN-H-26
Corruption
By Lydia Ngwakwe
Lagos, Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) The Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI), on Tuesday said that the anti-corruption program of President Muhammadu Buhari was gaining momentum and should be encouraged by all.
Mr Dennis Aghanya, the Executive Secretary of ARDI, said in a statement in Lagos that the program was openly accusing and prosecuting the “touchable and untouchables’’ in the society.
The statement came against the backdrop of the arrest of seven judges accused of corrupt practices by the Department of State Services.
The judges were arrested after a sting operation by the DSS, but later released on bail.
Aghanya said: “In the past, a serving judge could not be challenged of corrupt practices, but today they are arrested.’’
He, however, said that the allegation by two of the judges that the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, had, some time ago, approached them in a bid to manipulate judgments should be looked into.
“Amaechi and others should be subjected to the same questioning by the security agencies so that the masses can once more be assured that there is no sacred cow.
“An accusation does not make one guilty, but since other persons accused in recent times have been quizzed by the security agencies, Amaechi and others should be made to go through the same process,’’ Aghanya said.
He called on Nigerians to support the anti-corruption fight of President Buhari.
Two of the arrested judges, Justice Okoro Inyang and Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, had alleged that Amaechi spoke to them on different occasions, to influence judgments of two different elections.
Amaechi has, however, since dismissed the allegations as false.
LED/FF/SOA
==========
Edited by Fela Fashoro/Oluwole Sogunle