A law firm representing the embattled
Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday, said the Code
of Conduct Bureau had cleared the Army chief of any wrongdoing in the
$1.5m properties he (COAS) bought in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
In a statement, Buratai’s lawyer,
Ugochukwu Osuagwu, advised critics to respect the Army chief’s rights to
private family life as guaranteed in Section 34 of the 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Also, documents obtained from the CCB
indicated that in his asset declaration Form CCB – 1 submitted on August
21, 2015, Buratai declared that the properties in Dubai belong to his
wife.
Osuagwu said the military chief didn’t
make any false declaration, adding that the said property was not
acquired after he became the chief of army staff to warrant the
invocation of Section 15 (3) of the CCB Act.
He said, “We view the further attempt by
some select few to still dwell on this same Dubai properties and
criticise the COAS as a veiled attempt to divert his attention from the
current war he is waging to secure the country in various troubled spots
in Nigeria.
“Critics are therefore advised to
respect the General’s right to private family life as guaranteed under
Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (As Amended) and
construct their views within the ambit of the rule of law having been
duly cleared by the CCB.
“The COAS complied with Section 15(1) of
the Act and included his spouse’s assets in his declarations. That is
what the law requires of him and he did not disappoint. The COAS acted
lawfully and has not breached any law.”
According to Osuagwu, by a letter dated
June 29, 2016, the law firm requested the CCB to clear the air over the
said UAE properties.
Osuagwu added, “Without much delay, the
CCB responded in its letter dated July 11, 2016, and stated clearly from
the asset declaration filed by General Buratai that the said property
was duly filed by the Army General and in the spouse’s name.
“Having so declared the property as
required of him by law, the Chief of Army Staff has discharged the duty
placed on him by the 5th Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and the CCB and Tribunal Act.”
A copy of the CCB’s response to
Buratai’s lawyer, forming the basis of Osuagwu’s assertion, was signed
by Mrs. Ijeanuli Arinze Ofor, on behalf of the CCB’s chairman, Mr. Sam
Saba.
The letter, titled, ‘Re-Request for
information pursuant to Section 1 and 4 Freedom of Information Act
2011’, read, “We refer to your mail dated June 29, 2016, on the above
subject matter. We wish to state here that General Tukur Yusuf Buratai,
after his appointment as Chief of Army Staff, declared his assets as
required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“He was served the Form CCB – 1 on July
21, 2015 and returned same on August 21 2015. We also wish to confirm
that his property in Dubai was declared in the wife’s name. Please
accept the warmest regards of the chairman.”
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