JUST IN: Physique of Benchers Rejects Petition Looking for Probe of Kalu’s Regulation Faculty Certificates

Nigeria’s prime authorized regulatory physique, the Physique of Benchers, on Wednesday declined to just accept a petition filed by a coalition of civil society organisations in search of an investigation into the Nigerian Regulation Faculty certificates of Deputy Speaker of the Home of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.

The petition was submitted on the Physique of Benchers headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.

Nonetheless, officers of the physique rejected the doc on procedural grounds. The group behind the petition was informed that the criticism didn’t meet the required submitting course of.

As an alternative of receiving the petition formally, the regulatory physique handed the coalition official varieties. The group was directed to finish the paperwork and fasten them to the petition earlier than it may very well be thought-about.

The petition was delivered by a coalition generally known as Civil Society {Groups} for Good Governance. The staff was led by its convener, Comrade Ogakwu Dominic. It was addressed to the chairman of the Authorized Practitioners Disciplinary Committee beneath the provisions of the Authorized Practitioners’ Act.

The civil society {groups} raised questions in regards to the timeline of Kalu’s participation within the Nationwide Youth Service Corps and his attendance on the Nigerian Regulation Faculty.

In keeping with the petitioners, official information point out that Kalu served within the Nationwide Youth Service Corps from March 9, 2010 to March 8, 2011. On the similar time, they claimed he was enrolled on the Nigerian Regulation Faculty’s Enugu Campus between April 23, 2010 and September 2011.

The coalition additionally pointed to a declaration allegedly signed by Kalu upon admission into the Regulation Faculty. Within the doc, he reportedly acknowledged that he wouldn’t be engaged in employment or take part within the NYSC in the course of the interval of his research.

His declaration, as quoted within the petition, reads:
“I, Mr. Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu of 76 Manufacturing facility Highway, Umuahia, Abia State hereby declare on my honour that I’m not and won’t be engaged in any employment nor serve within the Nationwide Youth Service Corps in the course of the interval of my course on the Nigerian Regulation Faculty.”

The group additionally questioned the lengthy hole between Kalu’s undergraduate commencement and the interval he allegedly attended the Regulation Faculty. In keeping with the petition, Kalu graduated from the College of Calabar in 1998.

The petitioners subsequently requested: “How come that after a complete 12 years after commencement, Kalu’s alleged Youth Service and Regulation Faculty occurred concurrently?”

They urged the disciplinary physique to evaluation the matter totally. The coalition mentioned the authorized career should shield its integrity if any breach is found.

Within the doc, the group requested the Physique of Benchers to “present readability as to how the Rt. Hon. Kalu may have successfully met the necessities of the Regulation Faculty if certainly he actively participated by calling up his tutorial information.”

They added that if wrongdoing is confirmed, the physique ought to “apply the suitable sanctions to safeguard the status and sanctity of the Regulation Occupation in Nigeria. To show that no Nigerian, a lawyer for that matter, is above the legislation when discovered culpable.”

The petition additionally referred to an earlier response from the Deputy Speaker’s workplace. It quoted the workplace as saying that “the allegations being circulated stay unproven claims arising from a petition that has neither been substantiated nor decided by any competent authority.”

Different civil society leaders who co-signed the petition embrace Amb. Agbonkpoior Splendour of the Initiative for Management and {Economic} Watch, Comrade Onomuodeke Patrick of the Centre for Peace, Transparency and Accountability, and Comrade Ofomhi Christopher of the Integrity Advocacy for Growth Initiative.

Copies of the petition have been additionally despatched to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who chairs the Nationwide Judicial Council, and the President of the Nigerian Bar Affiliation.

Talking earlier than trying to submit the petition, Dominic mentioned the coalition determined to take motion as a result of Nigerians deserve transparency from public officers.

“We’re involved as Nigerians as a result of we can not proceed on this state. We would like the Proper Honourable Okeze Kalu Benjamin to come back out clear on his certification. There are discrepancies on points surrounding his certification, and there may be want for him to make clear. Nigerians can’t be taken without any consideration on a regular basis. It’s our proper, it’s our obligation to make sure that there’s transparency, there’s accountability. As a result of these are the weather and the substances of excellent governance.”

He warned that the group wouldn’t enable the matter to fade away.

“If he (Kalu) is pondering that this matter shall be swept beneath the carpet, he’s completely unsuitable. If he thinks that this matter will turn into exhausted over time, he’s completely unsuitable. We’re on a path, on a trajectory to make sure that our nation is purged of unhealthy management.”

After the petition was rejected, Dominic informed journalists that the coalition would adjust to the procedures given by the Physique of Benchers and refile the petition.

“…this petition was rejected on grounds of due course of. They’re giving us sequence of varieties, you’ll be able to see it is a kind that we now have to fill out to have the ability to obtain our submission objective, and so I need to inform you that we’re not resting on our oars.”

He mentioned the group had earlier issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Deputy Speaker to step apart whereas the allegations are investigated.

“Bear in mind, we’re giving the honourable member 72 hours to step apart in order that due diligence and due course of will be adopted in clearing him of this saga. However not having completed that, we thought it smart that for us to first barricade the nationwide meeting to attain our intention wouldn’t be very mandatory, and we determined to come back to the committee itself, which is liable for disciplining attorneys.

“We’re able to go full swing on this matter. We’re able to exhaust all of the sources inside our attain. We’re prepared to make sure that the fitting factor is completed at this time limit.”

He added that the difficulty may very well be resolved rapidly if Kalu gives the mandatory paperwork.

“The one factor that can save this example is that if at the moment, possibly instantly, if proper honourable Benjamin Okeze Kalu can come out and present to Nigerians, produce his certifications in each NYSC and the Nigerian Regulation Faculty to clear himself of this mess as a result of we can not proceed on this scale. This scandal will not be good for our nationwide progress. It’s not good for our management recruitment course of and the nationwide meeting will not be a spot that ought to tolerate individuals who have discrepancies of their certification.”

“We is not going to ambush the legislation. We is not going to reap the benefits of the method. All we’ll do is to observe due course of and make sure that the fitting factor is completed.”

In the meantime, the Deputy Speaker has beforehand dismissed requires him to step apart over the allegations.

Responding via his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu described the claims as “unproven claims arising from a petition that has neither been substantiated nor decided by any competent authority.”

Nwabughiogu added that “at no time since his (Kalu’s) name to the Bar has any competent authorized authority invalidated his qualification or skilled standing.”