Senator begs colleagues - ’I’m sorry for calling you 419 senators’

Soji-Eze Fagbemi and Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 31.01.2008

SENATOR Nuhu Aliyu said on Wednesday that he was losing his friends in the Senate following the controversy that trailed his claim that there are fraudsters in the National Assembly.

The Senator was speaking while appearing before the members of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, who have been mandated by the Senate to investigate the allegation and ensure Senator Aliyu named the affected senators or withdraw his statement.

But Senator Aliyu, who had threatened last week to make the names available to the committee, withdrew his statement and apologised to his colleagues, citing the provision of the law which prohibits a person that was not convicted by a competent court of law from being labelled a criminal.

The senator also added that he acted on the advice of his lawyers and appealed to the Senate President, Senator David Mark, to convey his apology to the speaker and members of the House of Representatives.

The senator, who was subjected to various questions by the members of the committee despite withdrawing the statement and his apology, said: “I have made contacts with my lawyers who have advised me strongly to withdraw that aspect of the statement I made that there are 419ners in the National Assembly.

“My lawyers know that I had spent 35 years in the police force and had served it meritoriously. They also know that I had headed the Force C.I.D where I met all kinds of people. “No matter how detailed a police investigation is of a crime, no matter how convinced a police officer is about a case he investigated of a suspected criminal, unless and until he is pronounced guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, he cannot be referred to as a criminal.

“I want to agree with my lawyers and I hereby withdraw entirely that part of the statement. To err is human and to forgive is divine. I regret what took place that day and I apologise.” Senator Aliyu made the statement last week during the debate on a motion brought before the Senate by the committee chairman on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, which he co-sponsored.

He, however, said: “During the debate, my contribution became controversial and angered many of my colleagues and members of the House. The media had a field day. I have come to realise I am losing my friends in the Senate because of that debate. I do not want to lose them.

“Let me once again affirm my stand on the motion, I strongly believe in it and support it completely. The controversy of that debate must end. We must be our brother’s keeper both at the Senate and the House. We must remain resolute, strong and united as a single family. I know both members of the Senate and the House have tremendous respect for my person. I want that respect to remain.”

However, when asked by one of the committee member if he still believed that fraudsters were still in the National Assembly, he said: “As for the question of 419ners in the Senate, I will never answer that question, nobody can force me to answer this question. Nuhu Aliyu will not mention names. Mr. Chairman, it is my privilege, I will not answer that question.

“I will confine my answer within the law that says that unless a person is convicted of a crime, he is not a criminal and if you are found guilty, there is no way you can come to the National Assembly.”

Chairman of the committee, Senator Omar Hambagar, said the committee would deliberate on all the submissions it had and if there was any need to call Senator Aliyu back, they would invite him, before coming up with their report.