SENATE PRESIDENT'S PRAISE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF BOTH PROF. ABUBAKAR OLAREWAJU SULAIMAN, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE INSTITUTE-NILDS AND MANAGEMENT OF NILDS DOES NOT FORECLOSE THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' INVESTIGATION INTO THE FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES OF PROF. SULAIMAN, A STUDENT CAN SUCCESSFULLY PASS EIGHT SUBJECTS BUT A FAILURE IN MATHEMATICS WHICH IS A COMPULSORY SUBJECT, REQUIRES INVESTIGATION AND A REPEAT.

SENATE PRESIDENT'S PRAISE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF BOTH PROF. ABUBAKAR OLAREWAJU SULAIMAN, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE INSTITUTE-NILDS AND MANAGEMENT OF NILDS DOES NOT FORECLOSE THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' INVESTIGATION INTO THE FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES OF PROF. SULAIMAN, A STUDENT CAN SUCCESSFULLY PASS EIGHT SUBJECTS BUT A FAILURE IN MATHEMATICS WHICH IS A COMPULSORY SUBJECT, REQUIRES INVESTIGATION AND A REPEAT.

The attention of the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners-ALDRAP has been drawn to several press statements wherein the President of the Senate has praised Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and the management of NILDS.

In accordance with Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, both the President of the Senate and any other citizen of Nigeria enjoys the right to freedom of expression.

However, the public praise of Prof. Sulaiman and the Management of the Institute-NILDS does not prevent the House of Representatives, National Assembly from performance of its duty under Section 85 of the Nigerian Constitution.

For the avoidance of any doubts, Section 85 of the Nigerian Constitution authorises the House of Representatives, National Assembly through it's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Auditor-General of the Federation to investigate any public official (such as Prof. Sulaiman) to audit how the public funds that are allocated to such public officials were utilised.

In this regard, Prof. Sulaiman is being investigated as to how he obtained the ₦50,000,000 (fifty million naira) and ₦20,000,000 (twenty million naira) respectively which are sums that are more than 100% above his annual salary as a public official.

This on-going investigation by the House of Representatives, National Assembly is the constitutionally and legally correct procedure.

It is akin to the analogy that investigation of a student who successfully passed other eight subjects during the Senior Secondary School Examinations administered by either WAEC or NECO but fails Mathematics.

Since Mathematics is a compulsory subject, such a student can ask for a re-mark or re-takes the examination for Mathematics alone.

The public praise of the Senate President relates to other areas of the activities of Prof. Sulaiman in his role as Director-General of the Institute-NILDS.

It is only a forensic audit and investigation by the House of Representatives, National Assembly that can confirm whether Prof. Sulaiman has performed above average in the area of management of the finances of the said Institute-NILDS.

This press release has become necessary considering that our Association-ALDRAP are the petitioners into the recent activities of Prof. Sulaiman that triggered the on-going investigation by the House of Representatives, National Assembly.

E-Signed,

Jesse Williams Amuga, Esq.

Administrative Secretary, ALDRAP.