The government’s refutal was contained in a statement that was issued by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AGF, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, in Abuja, yesterday.
It will be recalled that government through a letter dated March 18, and signed on behalf of the AGF by one Abdullah Yola, ordered the ex-ICPC Acting chairman, to forthwith, vacate his office, adding that he should immediately handover to a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Dr. Rosemary Abang Wushishi.
This sudden shuffle at the ICPC is coming on the heels of recent revelations that the ousted chairman, Angulu, had been under intense pressure from ‘above’, to drop further probe of the purported N6 billion fraud that he unearthed at the NJI, and the uncanny drama that trailed the aborted moves by the ICPC under his command, to arraign the sitting Minister of state for health, Bello, over allegations that he had collected a sum of N11.2 million from Governor Murtala Nyako as ‘hardship allowance”, whilst he acted as the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Adamawa State, in 2007.
There are insinuations that Professor Angulu’s removal was not unconnected with his perceived rigid stance on the fight against corruption in the higher places.
Reacting to the allegations yesterday, government in a statement that was signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the AGF, Mr Ambrose Momoh, denied that Angulu’s removal was related to ‘on-going probe of an alleged N6bn fraud in the National Judicial Institute, NJI, and the trial of a Minister.
The statement said: “For avoidance of doubt, AIG Abang Rosemary Wushishi’s appointment was made in compliance with the provision of section 3(4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Act, CAP. C31, LFN 2004, which states that the chairman shall be a person who has held or is qualified to hold office as a judge of a Superior Court of record in Nigeria.
“Since this requirement also applies to appointments made in an acting capacity, it was necessary to guide against any likely challenges of the powers exercised by Dr Uriah Angulu who did not possess the requisite qualification.”
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