BusinessDay... the voice of business: Labour calls for judicial commission of inquiry to tackle corruption

Labour calls for judicial commission of inquiry to tackle corruption
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Tunji OLAWUNI & Kehinde AKINTOLA on 08 May, 2008 02:00:00
 
President of NLC Adbulwaheed Omar who led hundreds of members later submitted a
letter of protest of the two bodies to both Senate President David Mark and
Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole.
Omar who publicly read from a copy of the letter both unions sent to President
Umaru Yar’Adua on same demand said “what is required and that which we
demand is the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry.”
He said: “Such a commission can much more comprehensively inquire into the
corrupt practices, recover mismanaged or embezzled funds, bring culprits to book
and generally restore peoples’ confidence in government and governance”.
According to Omar, the president needs to go beyond the administrative steps
taken “by your administration and the investigations by the National
Assembly.”
Both unions in separate letters to both Mark and Bankole commended the two
chambers for organising the ongoing public hearings into the power sector and
the FCT and the proposed one on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
They said: “It is our belief that far reaching measures need to be taken to
ensure that all embezzled funds are recovered and the criminals brought to book.
“This is why we are demanding for a judicial commission of inquiry to
undertake a comprehensive probe into the activities of the last
administration.”
The NUC president assured members of the National Assembly to mobilise for both
chambers if there is the need to demonstrate their support for them in the
crusade against corruption.
The workers who had earlier carried similar protest to offices of Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related offences commission, (ICPC) and the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) to register their support for the
agencies fight against corruption.
The workers who thronged the National Assembly carried placards with varying
inscriptions like “we want accountability in government”; “Yar’Adua
revive our r refineries”; “stand up for against corruption”; “Allah
forbids corruption” and “bring Obasanjo to book”