Dr Kayode Ajulo, a constitutional lawyer has thrown his weight behind the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami over call for the disbandment of Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC).Ajulo said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the constitution of PACAC was unconstitutional, adding that such action was an attempt to impede the work of anti graft agencies saddled with the fight against corruption.
According to him, there is no way sentiments can take the place of law no matter how idealistic it is, the law is the law.
“You cannot rule against the law, so you cannot rule with peoples whims and caprisis by setting up an unknown body to the law in the quest of wanting to fight corruption. He also contends that violation of the law itself is corruption.
He said that any action taken by the President before constituting PACAC must have followed the law, adding that the President could not have fought corruption with an Adhoc committee like PACAC.
According to him, setting up other body without the requisite law is null and void, such action in itself is a ground for corruption.
He however called for the immediate disbandment of PACAC, while challenging it to name what it had this achieved since they were set up in the last 5years.“
Their job is Adhoc, any issue of criminality stops with the AGF, who is the Chief legal officer of the Federation and under who’s office there’s Solicitor-General of the Federation, Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation and other offices and institutions to ensure maintenance of law and order.
He married, what’s the basis for the Adhoc committee against corruption and they are there for five years perpetually.
It would be recalled that Malami had aledgedly recommended the disbandment of PACAC headed by Prof. Itse Sagay to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Malami’s argument was that the committee has outlived its usefulnes and should be disbanded like the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP).
PACAC was established in Aug. 2015 with the mandate to promote the reform agenda of Buhari anti-corruption effort.It was also saddled with the responsibility of advising the President in the prosecution of the war against corruption.