Coalition seeks redeployment, prosecution of Nigerian Youth Parliament’s Clerk

By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja

The leadership of the Northern Nigerian Civil Society Coalition, NNCSC, has called on the Clerk of National Assembly to, as matter of urgency, redeploy and prosecute Mallam Kamal Hassan Ibrahim a Staff of National Assembly and the Clerk of Nigerian Youth Parliament (NYP).

The NNCSC hinged its call on what it called the “illegal activities” of Mallam Kanal Ibrahim as the Clerk of the Nigerian Youth Parliament,, accusing him of using his portfolio to allegedly extort aspirants and endorsing candidates for the Office of the Speaker of the Nigerian Youth Parliament.

The coalition made the call in a statement on Monday by its convener, Comrade Aminu Bebeji.

The statement alleged that Kamal-Hassan Ibrahim has been receiving clothing materials and cash gift from some aspirants thereby compromising a free and fair electoral process for the incoming leadership for the Sixth Session of Nigerian Youth Parliament due for inauguration in first of February, 2025.

According to the coalition, “Our personal investigation revealed that he has been having series of meetings with his prefer candidate and equally extorting others with fake promises of producing them as the Speaker of the Sixth Session of the Nigeria Youth Parliament.

“The same scenario played out during the processes that led to the election of the Speaker of the Fifth Session of the parliament where he received a some of Two Million Naira from a candidate from Oyo State in cheque”, it said.

Citing the relevant sections of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) act, the NNCSC said, “It is an offence for any individual to corruptly receive or obtain any benefit in situations involving acts, omissions, favours or disfavours by the individual in their official duties or related matters.

“It is also an offence for an individual to provide any benefit to a public officer, expecting to receive an act, omission, favour, or disfavour from the public officer in their official duties or related matters”, it said.

While also making reference to section 8 entitled ‘Gratification and Bribery of Public Officers’, the coalition added, “It is an offence for a person to offer gratification to a public officer and for a public officer to accept gratification with the intention of influencing the performance or hindrance of official acts”

Continuing, it said, “So also the Penal Code Law Cap.89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963 that has to do with Public servants taking gratification in respect of official act (S.115 and 116), the coalition said, “Any form of gratification as a motive or reward for using corrupt or illegal means to influence a public officer to perform or refrain from performing an official act, is an offence. “Also, a public officer who accepts or obtains any form of gratification apart from lawful payment as a motive or reward for performing or refraining from performing an official act is guilty of an offence”.

“Mallam Kamal -Hassan Ibrahim, by his actions, has contradicted the The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and The penal code law Cap. 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963. We hereby calls for his immediate redeployment and subsequent prosecution”, it concluded.