Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the acting Chairmen of both the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) “to
jointly investigate allegations of incompatibility, apparent conflict of
interest and abuse of office involving Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr. Lasun Yusuff, using his personal company to win
water contracts amounting to about N1.1 billion from the Ministry of
Water Resources, and to collaborate with the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) in any such investigation.”
The organization urged the anti-corruption agencies to “prosecute Mr
Yusuff and other people and companies suspected to be involved if there
is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence of abuse of office and
complicity against them.
“We urge you to take steps within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, failing which SERAP will
institute legal proceedings to compel the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to order your agencies to act in the public interest,” the letter read.
In the petition dated 8 June 2018 and signed by SERAP deputy director
Timothy Adewale, the organization said: “Investigating the allegations and prosecuting all those suspected to be involved would indicate your agencies’ willingness to exert your authorities and act as a deterrent against breaches of the code of conduct provisions, Nigeria’s
anti-corruption legislation and international standards.”
The organization claimed that “public officials allegedly securing to themselves and/or their companies and family members privileges rightly
belonging to the public by by-passing or manipulating the formal procedures necessary for the award of these privileges is a textbook case of conflict of interest.”
The organization expressed “Concerns that Mr Yusuff’s alleged acts
suggest abuse of his position as lawmaker, and apparent conflict of
interest situation, as such acts were undertaken by the Deputy Speaker
in the exercise of his legislative functions to presumably promote and
advance the commercial and other interests of his own, Nur and Company
Nigeria limited.”
According to the organization, “Rather than using his law-making
functions to promote access to safe drinking water and sanitation
services for Irepodun/Orolu/Olorunda/Osogbo Federal Constituency without
any discrimination or disparity in the level of services, the Deputy
Speaker would seem to be looking after his own interests and Nur and
Company Nigeria limited–not those of the constituency he represents.”
jointly investigate allegations of incompatibility, apparent conflict of
interest and abuse of office involving Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr. Lasun Yusuff, using his personal company to win
water contracts amounting to about N1.1 billion from the Ministry of
Water Resources, and to collaborate with the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) in any such investigation.”
Yusuff and other people and companies suspected to be involved if there
is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence of abuse of office and
complicity against them.
institute legal proceedings to compel the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to order your agencies to act in the public interest,” the letter read.
Timothy Adewale, the organization said: “Investigating the allegations and prosecuting all those suspected to be involved would indicate your agencies’ willingness to exert your authorities and act as a deterrent against breaches of the code of conduct provisions, Nigeria’s
anti-corruption legislation and international standards.”
belonging to the public by by-passing or manipulating the formal procedures necessary for the award of these privileges is a textbook case of conflict of interest.”
suggest abuse of his position as lawmaker, and apparent conflict of
interest situation, as such acts were undertaken by the Deputy Speaker
in the exercise of his legislative functions to presumably promote and
advance the commercial and other interests of his own, Nur and Company
Nigeria limited.”
functions to promote access to safe drinking water and sanitation
services for Irepodun/Orolu/Olorunda/Osogbo Federal Constituency without
any discrimination or disparity in the level of services, the Deputy
Speaker would seem to be looking after his own interests and Nur and
Company Nigeria limited–not those of the constituency he represents.”
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