Calls For CCT Boss Danladi Umar To Resign Grow Over Offensive Statement
Some Nigerians have described the Code of Conduct tribunal boss Justice Danladi Umar’s physical assault and his subsequent statement as an act of “nepotism” hence calling for his resignation.
Danladi was captured on tape violently abusing a security guard at Abuja’s Banex Plaza, causing uproar on Twitter.
A statement signed by his spokesperson, Ibraheem Al-Hassan, said the guard was ‘rude,’ and the crowd gathering at the scene of the assault was made up of ‘Biafran Boys.’
The profiling of those who gathered as “Biafran boys” in the error-ridden statement got a lot of attention on Twitter.
Prof Jibrin Ibrahim, a senior fellow at the Centre for Development, tweeted: “Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal was caught on video physically assaulting a security man at Banex Plaza in Abuja saying the guard was “rude”. Then he issues a statement condemning Biafran boys. No decorum, totally unacceptable, he must be sacked”.
“Chairman of the Code of Conduct tribunal refers to citizens as Biafran Boys? This is the height of it,” activist Aisha Yesufu said on Twitter. “Justice Danladi Umar needs to be removed from office! He has shown his bias and his position requires neutrality”.
Cheta Nwanze, the managing partner at SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based research firm, said: “The real issue in the CCT press release isn’t the rather poorly constructed English. The real issue is the attempt at ethnic profiling from a government official. What is the point of using “BIAFRAN boy” twice if not to turn the whole thing into an ‘Us v Them’ matter?”
Also, the president of One Love Foundation, Chief Patrick Eholor, called on Danladi to resign from office, saying it was ironic that as chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal he engaged in public misconduct.
“Danladi Umar should know that the days of brigandage is gone. He must resign from office immediately, else we will go to court and get him out and get the police to prosecute him as he is a disgrace to public service,” he said.
Another Twitter user wrote, “1. Justice Danladi Umar of Code of CONDUCT Tribunal should be SACKED for assaulting a security officer since he cannot CONDUCT himself. 2. Ibraheem Al-Hassan, Head, Press & Public Relations, CCT should be removed for referring to people as BIAFRAN boys in an official statement.”
