In a statement issued by Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, his former minister of National Planning, former, President Goodluck Jonathan, has replied legal luminary Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) over the former’s statement that Jonathan should confess his involvement in the deal before he is arrested.
“One should expect the respected learned scholar to know that you don’t hang a suspect on the pages of newspaper or via social media until he or she is found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. Accordingly, even where the learned jurist feels passionate of such a sensitive but sensational issue, he should know the right route to the villa rather than taking such prejudicial position”.
“It is high time our legal luminaries confined themselves to the noble ethics of their profession than toeing the path of some mischief politicians. And we pray that when the report of his Committee finally comes out, it will reflect and incorporate the noble principles of rule of law, fair hearing and impartiality so as to meet the irreducible minimum standard expected in matters of this nature. We also pray that it may not end up dashing, rather than raising the hopes of average Nigerian in the vintage APC fashion, as with most things these days”,
Professor Sagay who is also chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, had advised Jonathan to secretly confess all he knew about the scandalous $2.1 billion arms deal. He stated during the week that if Jonathan goes by the advice, he may be accorded the respect due to him by virtue of being a former president. He also pointed out that Jonathan’s concession of defeat to Buhari does not make Jonathan a hero, as one good action could not correct several evil deeds.