The Chairman
of Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) prosecuting public officers who fail to
declare their assets in law, Mr. Danladi Yakubu Umar has clarified that he was
only joking with his advocacy for the return decree 2 to regulate the practice
of journalism in the country.
Mr. Umar
said that contrary to the impression created in the media he did not advocate
for the Decree to harass, intimidate or arrest journalist or any Nigerian for
whatever reason.
In a press statement,
released by the Public Relations Officer of the Tribunal, Ibrahim Alhassan, the
public was urged to regard the statement as a joke made in good faith and not
to obstruct the practice of journalism in the country.
“The
statement by the Chairman was made out of joke, not to intimidate any member of
the Fourth Estate of the Realm in this country from observing their statutory
functions as mandated by the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, as
anchored in liberal democratic society like ours.”
The Chairman
only cracked the joke following his discovery that some media organisations had
in their report claimed that his tribunal had adjourned the trial of the Senate
President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on false declaration of assets indefinitely.
The Chairman
in his remarks without any bias or hatred said in the open court that the
publication of adjournment sine die, meaning indefinitely adjournment
was not true reflection of the decision of the tribunal when the adjournment
issues was decided.
“We wish to
state that the CCT Chairman as a law-abiding citizen recognises the role
assigned to media practitioners by law and would not do anything to hinder the
media practitioners from doing their legitimate jobs”
It is also
on record that there has been no conflict between the media and the CCT on one
side and Chairman on the other side with the media practitioners since they
have been covering the high profile trial on the Senate President.
The Tribunal
therefore appreciates the conducive working atmosphere of the media and the
establishment and would not do anything that would hamper the smooth and
cordial relationship between the two
Similarly,
we also wish to state that the Chairman never threatened our distinguished
senator but only cautioned the people on the gallery to behave and to stop interjecting
into the proceeding of the tribunal.
The Chairman’s
caution was informed by complaint from the Federal Government Lawyer, Mr Rotimi
Jacob that he was been shouted down by some people from the gallery prompting
the chairman to caution that
whoever exhibit unruly behaviours would be made to face contempt of the
tribunal.
And as such the
caution was not directed at the distinguished senators who were in the Tribunal
with Senate President.
He is not
specifically directed at the distinguished Senators, as widely reported in the
media.
By PRNigeria
No comments:
Post a Comment