The Audu/Faleke Political Organisation has said any attempt by the G5 lawmakers to approve the list of would-be commissioners purportedly sent by Governor Yahaya Bello to the House of Assembly will be illegal.
It said except the nominees are cleared by the House of Assembly, under the leadership of Momoh Jimoh Lawal, their appointment remained illegal.
A statement by the Director of Media and Publicity, Duro Meseko warned that any attempt by the government to send the list to the G5 for clearance would amount to an exercise in futility, as the nominees would be deemed to have been illegally cleared.
The statement reads: “The news came that Governor Yahaya Bello announced his Commissioner-nominees yesterday and forwarded same to the House of Assembly.
“The question is, which House of Assembly? Is it the illegal G5 house led by Umar Imam or the legally-constituted G15 house recognised by the court, and led by Speaker Momoh Lawal?
“Because as at today, the only Speaker recognised by the law is Momoh Lawal. Any other pretender to the office is manifestly illegal; his actions and inactions in office also remain illegal.”
The statement warned of the consequences of disobedience to court order, saying it “portends grave danger to constitutional democracy and the rule of law”.
The Audu/Faleke group also warned financial institutions dealing with the government to be wary of illegal transactions not backed by law.
“For those banks, which have direct dealings with the state government, especially those warehousing the bailout funds like Zenith and Access banks, we would like them to look very well before they leap so as not to regret their official indiscretion when the transactions come under official review in future. A word, says the sage, is enough for the wise”.
According to the group, “since the Bello administration admitted that it applied and processed the bailout funds by itself, where did the CBN get the approval to release the funds when commissioners had not been appointed?
“Which Assembly gave the approval even when the Assembly was under lock and key? Yet, the CBN overlooked these official requirements and released the bailout, a loan that would be repaid from the commonwealth of the longsuffering Kogi people.
“Let it be known to all that these bizzare illegalities would soon come under official scrutiny and those found to have breached the laws dealt with accordingly”, the statement added.