Follow Us on Google
Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said the release of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki and the leader of ‘RevolutionNow’, Omoyele Sowore, from detention has exonerated the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government from criticism that it was muzzling the judiciary.
The lawmaker representing Ekiti Central stressed that the release further corroborated President Muhammadu Buhari’s strong believe in the judiciary as the bastion of democracy and rule of law.
Dasuki had been detained since 2016 for his role in the $2.1 billion alleged missing armed funds under President Goodluck Jonathan while Sowore was held for spearheading a group called RevolutionNow’.
They were released by the Department of State Services, on Tuesday.
Applauding the government’s decision, Bamidele, told newsmen in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, that Nigerians should not capitalise on the mistake committed by the DSS to pass incendiary comments to diminish the APC’s enormous respect for the judiciary.
Bamidele commended the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for acting promptly and giving an advice that was in tandem with public opinion and agitations of Nigerians.
“It is trite that the rule of law is the bedrock of any democracy. It is the fulcrum on which democracy hangs and survives and no nation can joke with it. APC was circumspect of this fact and had been aligning itself with this reality, both in actions and policies.
“The fact that President Buhari, through the instrumentality of the Attorney General, acted swiftly to correct the embarassment caused by overzealous DSS operatives, who invaded a sitting court to arrest Sowore, vividly confirmed that the APC believes in the rule of law and the sanctity of the temple of justice.
“We are particularly elated by the government’s gesture because it will go a long way in further establishing the fact that Nigeria is not a pariah state. When leaders venerate the judiciary, it deepens democracy and tames tendencies for anarchical actions that could truncate the system.
“It was in line with that tenet to strengthen judiciary and the rule of law, that the government through the office of the Attorney General of the federation took over Sowore’s case from DSS and some other corruption cases from EFCC .
“I appeal to all the agencies of government vested with prosecutorial powers , to always bury their emotions and exercise cautions while dealing with issues, to protect the integrity of the Buhari-led government, whose respect for the judiciary, had serially been demonstrated and amplified,” he said.
Bamidele promised that the National Assembly’s Committees on Judiciary in both chambers will continually engage the leaderships and come up with the right amendments that could strengthen the judiciary and other institutions of government.
“The separation of powers is a strong condiments of democracy and that power must be protected and sustained.”
