Senate President Bukola Saraki has condemned the alleged disregard for court rulings usually displayed by law enforcement agencies, stressing that every authority under the constitution must obey court orders.
Saraki was speaking at the National Anti-Corruption Summit held in Abuja on Tuesday, adding that law enforcement agencies must be free from political interference as it compromises the credibility of the agencies.
He also called for the respect of the rule of law and the principle of separation of powers.
“I will not end my remarks without commenting on the need for every authority under our constitution to abide by decisions of courts made within jurisdiction,” Saraki told his listeners at the summit.
“This is the only way to preserve law and order and maintain the rule of law as an essential ingredient for the survival of our nascent democracy.
“As emphasised earlier, anti-corruption does not start or end with the ICPC, or the EFCC, the Police or the DSS.
“This fight is all-encompassing. This fight can only be fought and won by all of us – the people and their government – working in sync and playing our own part in the process within the ambits of our defined powers,” he said.
The senate president stressed that there is no way a corruption-free Nigeria would be achieved if institutions of the law were continually treated with disdain.
He stated: “We must work to ensure that there is order in all that we do. Unless there is order, we will not get the right results.
“Unless the anti-corruption war is underpinned on due process, the respect of the rule of law, and a clear acceptance of the separation of powers – with our constitution as our guiding law, we will not achieve lasting and sustainable results.”