Ahead of the Sixth Session of Nigerian Youth Parliament, which is due for inauguration on February 1, the Northern Nigerian Civil Society Coalition has called for the immediate removal of Mallam Kamal-Hassan Ibrahim as the Clerk of Nigeria Youth Parliament by the National Assembly.
They made their position known in a statement on Monday morning, which was signed by the Convener, Comrade Aminu Bebeji.
According to the coalition, Ibrahim is using his portfolio to extort aspirants and endorsing candidates for the Office of the Speaker of the Nigerian Youth Parliament.
The statement read: “The leadership of the Northern Nigerian Civil Society Coalition hereby call on the Clerk of the National Assembly to as matter of urgency redeploy and sack Mallam Kamal-Hassan Ibrahim a Staff of National Assembly and the Clerk of Nigerian Youth Parliament (NYP).
“This action became exigent going by his illegal activities as the Clerk of the Nigerian Youth Parliament where is using his portfolio to extort aspirants and endorsing candidates for the Office of the Speaker of the Nigerian Youth Parliament.
“Kamal-Hassan Ibrahim has been receiving clothing materials and cash gifts 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 on 1st February, 2025.
“Our personal investigation revealed that he has been having series of meetings with his preferred 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.
“In accordance with Corrupt practices act: A. Official Corruption (S.8, 9(1) and 10): 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.
“B. Gratification and Bribery of Public Officers (S.18): 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.
“So also the Penal Code Law Cap.89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963 stated
A. Public servants taking gratification in respect of official act (S.115 and 116) “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 call for his immediate redeployment and subsequent prosecution.”