FG lacks power to raise panel on post-election crisis – Buhari Campaign Organisation

GENERAL Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation has criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for setting up a panel to investigate the post-election crisis in the North, adding that the Federal Government did not possess such power. A release signed by the spokesperson for the organisation, Mr Yinka Odumakin, stated that the Federal Government, by law, had no powers to investigate any disturbance outside the Federal Capital Territory, as pronounced by the Supreme Court in Fawehinmi vs Babangida, and that the 22-man panel set up by the president was just   a hollow ritual meant to just play politics with a serious national tragedy.

It stated that the truth  that had been pointed out was  that those who wilfully violated the rights of the people to freely choose their leaders were vicariously liable for the outrage of the mob.

The organisation said while it  wanted justice for the people who lost their lives, it needed   to alert the whole world that the handling of the issue by President Jonathan was the worst form of mischievous dance on the graves of the dead.

The statement said that ironically, Justice Samson Uwaifo, who is the deputy chair of the panel was on the Supreme Court panel that gave that decision.

The statement claimed that only state governments had the right to set up a  lawful truth commission as done in  Osun State recently.

It said that  most issues to be investigated by the commission were criminal issues that  could not be given to a tribunal to handle. “The burning of houses is arson, while the killing of people is culpable homicide; a competent government should be filing charges against the suspects arrested  rather than embarking on a wild goose chase.”

It said it was annoying that the president, who had not debunked the allegation that he distributed dollars within Nigeria, would value a slain corps member, who would have been a breadwinner for life for his family, at a sum of N5 million.

“The motive behind this gesture could, at best, only be a photo-op with the families and not genuine concerns for the dead,” the statement read.

It explained further that seven months after the bomb blast in Abuja, the Federal Government had not deemed it fit to compensate the families of those killed in the blast.

“Were the government to be genuine over its intention of even compensating those who lost their property, all it would have needed was advertising in newspapers for such victims to come forward with a verification panel to assess their claims and value genuine losses,” the statement added.