SDP : Disciplinary Panel Instituted To Probe Gabam Submits Report

The disciplinary panel, set up by the Social Democratic party, SDP, to investigate the alleged financial irregularities of its suspended national Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gabam and two others today submitted its findings to the National Working Committee of the party.

The Chairman of the five-man panel, Retired Air Vice Marshal Abubarkar-Sadiq Liman who presented the report to the acting National Chairman of the party, Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar, at the party, Secretariat said all parties involved in the probe were invited for fair hearing.

“All members of the NWC, personal staff of the suspended Chairman, Contractors and the External Auditor were invited in the interest of natural justice and fair hearing,” Liman stated.

He further explained that only the suspended National Auditor honoured the invitation amongst the three allegedly accused persons.

“While among the National Working Committee members, only the National Organizing Secretary vehemently refused to honour the Committee’s invitation.

“It is safe to state that the Committee obtained sufficient evidence from the statements of all those that appeared before it” he stressed.

According to him, in line with the task and terms of reference, the documentary evidence provided by the NWC was valuable to the committee.

“Drawing from the Statements, interactions and the documents, the Committee made some findings and far-reaching recommendations. It is hoped that the Party would implement the recommendations with a view to repositioning the party to effectively and efficiently perform its functions” Liman stated.

According to Liman, the Committee is also of the view that this Report would impact positively on the Party and Nigeria at large, if its recommendations are religiously implemented.

“This is because the recommendations were not for the upliftment of the Party alone, but to send a clear message to Nigerians that they should not lose hope in our democratic process and leadership at all levels” he added.

“As SDP has taken a bold step towards cleansing itself to provide purposeful leadership to Nigerians by imbibing the core attribute of quality leadership, such as; integrity, vision, empathy, accountability, transparency, courage, humility, patriotism, incorruptibility, high level of morality and credibility amongst others”.

Responding, the acting National Chairman of the party, Dr.Sadiq-Umar Abubakar, called on political Parties to be up and doing, be transparent as possible noting that the SDP is setting a pace for other political parties in Nigeria to build a better nation.

Dr. Abubakar commended members of the National working Committee for cooperating with the panel during the investigation and thanked the panel for its commitment and patriotism in the discharge of its assignment.

“We have just the received the panel’s report, we dont know its content, now that the panel has handover the report, I want to assure all party members and Nigerians alike that we will go through the report and am sure we are going to do justice to the report” Dr. Abubakar added.

Georgina Humphrey, Edited By Grace Namiji