The President spoke in Abuja during the commissioning of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Headquarters/Court Complex.

Represented by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Senator Adamu Aliero, Yar’Adua said his administration will its all to entrench probity, integrity, transparency and accountability in public service.

“I do reiterate before the entire nation on this day, that my administration will neither shield nor protect any public official who falls foul of the law or breaches the Code of Conduct for public officers,” he said.

The President said he was committed to zero tolerance for corruption.

He assured the CCT of Federal Government’s support as it strives to entrench accountability in public officers.

The Tribunal stated this yesterday after it threw out an application filed by Ribadu through his lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, asking it to stay the ongoing criminal proceeding against him, pending the outcome of two separate appeals he has entered before the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, challenging the  jurisdiction of the CCT to prosecute him.

While dismissing the application as a calculated attempt to thwart his criminal prosecution, the CCT maintained that Ribadu was bereft of the right to seek for a stay, considering that he is yet to be properly arraigned before it, adding that it does not grant request made by fugitives in hiding.