To avoid prison, Saraki pays Omo-Agege’s entitlements

Not ready to risk being sent to prison, Senate President Bukola Saraki has heeded the court warning and paid Senator Ovie Omo-Agege all his entitlements that accrued during his illegal suspension by the Senate earlier in the year.

Omo-Agege, who represents Delta-Central, had gone to court, initiated the committal proceedings and asked that Saraki be sent to prison as punishment for not obeying the May 10, 2018 judgment of the court which ordered him (Omo-Agege) to be reinstated from illegal suspension and be paid all his accrued benefits for the period of the voided suspension.

Ruling on the matter on October 11, 2018, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had said that he was giving Saraki another opportunity to honour the court ruling on the matter, or appear in court to face contempt proceedings.

When the matter came up again on Thursday, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), counsel to the aggrieved senator, explained to Justice Nnamdi Dimgba that his client was paid on October 12, 2018, barely 24 hours after the court warned Saraki.

Izinyon said he had served Saraki with the court order of October 11, along with a letter from his chambers informing him of the Thursday’s proceedings.

He however said the next day, October 12, that one of the Senate President’s special assistants had reached him informing him that his client had nine cheques.

According to him, the cheques were received and acknowledged on behalf of the senator. He added that when the cheques were presented to Omo-Agege, that the senator acknowledged that there was a shortfall of N6 million.

READ ALSO: Akpabio asks Saraki to resign as Senate President

He said when notified, the Senate President’s aide acknowledged that the senator’s claim was correct and admitted that the shortfall arose from an error of computation.

 

 

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