AGF, Abubakar Malami, summons EFCC, ICPC, others to national summit

The Federal Government, yesterday, said it would convene a
one-day national summit on justice, with a view to fashioning out a
workable document in the justice sector.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami, SAN, made the disclosure via a statement in Abuja,
yesterday.

He said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as
well as Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission ICPC, were among government agencies that have been
directed to attend the summit billed for August 10.

Others are Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Prisons Service, all
Attorneys-General, Solicitors-General, Chief Judges of all the 36
states of the federation, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and
Social Development, Federal Ministry of Budget and National
Planning and all parastatals under the Federal Ministry of
Justice.

The statement, which was signed by media aide to the AGF, Mr.
Salihu Isah, added that about 10 civil society organisations,
including International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA; 
Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, and Legal Resources
Centre for Socio-Legal Studies and the academia, were also invited
to participate in the summit.

Isah said the summit, which will be preceded by a two-day
technical session on August 8-9, is to build consensus on how the
nation’s justice system could overcome its challenges.

It said: “The technical session, which is to be representative,
is expected to produce the policy document to be presented to the
enlarged summit for adoption on August 10.”

Meanwhile, the AGF may utilise the opportunity provided by the
summit to tackle heads of both the EFCC and the ICPC over their
alleged refusal to handover case files of more than 35 ex-governors
and senators that have criminal charges pending against them.

The case files the two agencies allegedly withheld from the AGF,
despite repeated request from the Federal Ministry of Justice,
included those involving former governor of Kwara but now the
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Ali Modu Sheriff (Borno);
  Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia);
Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu); Saminu Turaki (Jigawa); Sule Lamido
(Jigawa); Joshua Dariye (Plateau); Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara); Gabriel
Suswam (Benue); James Ibori (Delta); Martin Elechi (Ebonyi);
Danjuma Goje (Gombe).

Others are, Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Ikedi Ohakim (Imo); Gbenga
Daniel (Ogun); Achike Udenwa (Imo); Ubong Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom);
Jolly Nyame (Taraba); Rasheed Ladoja (Oyo); Adebayo Alao-Akala
(Oyo); Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi); Lucky Igbinedion (Edo) and Peter
Odili (Rivers).

The AGF had earlier threatened to drag the two anti-graft
agencies before the Presidency over alleged insubordination.

The Federal Government, yesterday, said it would convene a
one-day national summit on justice, with a view to fashioning out a
workable document in the justice sector.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami, SAN, made the disclosure via a statement in Abuja,
yesterday.

He said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as
well as Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission ICPC, were among government agencies that have been
directed to attend the summit billed for August 10.

Others are Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Prisons Service, all
Attorneys-General, Solicitors-General, Chief Judges of all the 36
states of the federation, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and
Social Development, Federal Ministry of Budget and National
Planning and all parastatals under the Federal Ministry of
Justice.

The statement, which was signed by media aide to the AGF, Mr.
Salihu Isah, added that about 10 civil society organisations,
including International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA; 
Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, and Legal Resources
Centre for Socio-Legal Studies and the academia, were also invited
to participate in the summit.

Isah said the summit, which will be preceded by a two-day
technical session on August 8-9, is to build consensus on how the
nation’s justice system could overcome its challenges.

It said: “The technical session, which is to be representative,
is expected to produce the policy document to be presented to the
enlarged summit for adoption on August 10.”

Meanwhile, the AGF may utilise the opportunity provided by the
summit to tackle heads of both the EFCC and the ICPC over their
alleged refusal to handover case files of more than 35 ex-governors
and senators that have criminal charges pending against them.

The case files the two agencies allegedly withheld from the AGF,
despite repeated request from the Federal Ministry of Justice,
included those involving former governor of Kwara but now the
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Ali Modu Sheriff (Borno);
  Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia);
Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu); Saminu Turaki (Jigawa); Sule Lamido
(Jigawa); Joshua Dariye (Plateau); Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara); Gabriel
Suswam (Benue); James Ibori (Delta); Martin Elechi (Ebonyi);
Danjuma Goje (Gombe).

Others are, Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Ikedi Ohakim (Imo); Gbenga
Daniel (Ogun); Achike Udenwa (Imo); Ubong Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom);
Jolly Nyame (Taraba); Rasheed Ladoja (Oyo); Adebayo Alao-Akala
(Oyo); Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi); Lucky Igbinedion (Edo) and Peter
Odili (Rivers).

The AGF had earlier threatened to drag the two anti-graft
agencies before the Presidency over alleged insubordination.