By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
A group, the Incorporated Trustees of Empowerment for Unemployed Youths Initiative, has filed a court action against the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.
Omo-Agege is the senator representing Delta Central in the National Assembly and the Deputy Senate President.
In the suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the group wants the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to probe Omo-Agege on the allegation that he was convicted in the US in 1995.
By Nigerian law, an ex-convict is disqualified from contesting elective positions and voting during election.
The group says it wants the security agencies to use its investigative capability to determine whether Omo-Agege was indeed convicted in the United States in November 1995.
The group also filed a motion, praying the court to order that Omo-Agege steps down from office as deputy senate president pending the completion of the investigation.
The lawyer for the group, Edward Omaga, said it is important for the deputy senate president to step down to allow for transparent and fair investigation and to also prevent him from interfering with the investigation.
The group also prayed the court to declare that any refusal by the DSS and the IGP to investigate Omo-Agege would be considered as unjustifiable, wrongful and tantamount to dereliction of duties under the relevant laws that established those security agencies.
According to Omaga, in the affidavit attached to the motion ex parte, until the DSS and the IGP are compelled by an order of the court, they would not investigate Omo-Agege.
He said the court action was based on the ground that that any action or inaction of persons occupying elective and appointive position would have a direct impact on the overwhelming unemployed youths in the country.
