Reps threaten to arrest Malami, Obono-Obla others

The House of Representatives has threatened to issue a warrant
of arrest on the Attorney General of the Federation and minister
for justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami, and the chairman of the
Presidential panel of the recovery of public properties, Mr. Okoi
Obono-Obla and members of the committee if they fail to appear
before it next Tuesday.

Also on the list are the Office of the Vice president, the
Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, Office of the
Secretary to Government of the Federation (OSGF), Office of the
Head of Service of the Federation (OHSF), the Accountant General of
the Federation (AGF) and Auditor General of the Federation.

Others are the representatives of the ministry of finance, the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), the
Budget Office of the Federation and the Nigeria Bar Association
(NBA).

Chairman of the House ad hoc committee investigating the modus
operandi of the Special Presidential Investigative Panel, Hon.
Aliyu Ahman-Pategi who issued the threat yesterday warned that the
affected persons must appear in person.

At the commencement of the investigation yesterday, most of the
heads of the affected ministries, department and agencies (MDAs)
were either absent or sent representatives forcing the committee to
postpone the probe.

Addressing representatives of the chairman of the presidential
panel, Ahman-Pategi said “we will not take that arrogance here.
Even if it means inviting President Muhammadu Buhari we will do it.
And let me read section 88 of the constitution, which give us the
powers to do what we are doing.

“We are worried about the level of ineptitude and incompetence
exhibited by government appointees and functionaries. This should
be the last time heads of MDAs are invited here and they fail to
appear. If anybody fails to honour our invitation next Tuesday by
10 am, we will wield the big stick”

Recall that the House had in March, mandated the ad hoc
committee on the Special Investigation Panel, led by Hon.
Ahman-Pategi to probe into activities of the committee, following a
motion passed on the floor on the constitutionality and otherwise
of the presidential panel.

Consequently, the ad hoc committee had in a letter dated 28th
March 2018 and referenced NASS/8HR/DCD/016180/001 requested the
chairman of the panel to submit the list, curriculum vitae, and
certificates of its members.

The committee also demanded for documents showing “the annual
budgetary provisions for the panel since inception; list of
investigations carried out from inception to date; list of all the
seizures effected from inception till date, showing their location
and names of persons from whom the seizures where made; details of
bank account; and details of income & expenditure since
inception”.

While declaring the investigative hearing open, speaker of the
House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara said that the legislature has the
constitutional responsibility to ensure good governance, law and
order in the country.

Represented by the Deputy Minority Whip Hon. Binta Bello
Maigari, the speaker noted that the imperatives of the fight
against corruption and doing things right in line with
international best practices and added that the 1999 Constitution
has vested the power of investigation of corruption on the National
Assembly.

He expressed serious reservations on the constitution of the
probe panel added that the ad-hoc committee is not to witch-hunt
anybody rather it is to enthrone accountability and good
governance.

Other members of the ad-hoc committee as Hon. Toby Okechukwu
(Enugu, PDP) and Hon. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers, PDP) had noted with
distrust what is happening in many government agencies.

The lawmakers insisted that they won’t take any brief from a
representative of the Chairman of the Presidential Panel and other
invited government agencies at the hearing and threatened to invoke
the provisions of Sec 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution if the
invitees shun the next sitting.

The House of Representatives has threatened to issue a warrant
of arrest on the Attorney General of the Federation and minister
for justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami, and the chairman of the
Presidential panel of the recovery of public properties, Mr. Okoi
Obono-Obla and members of the committee if they fail to appear
before it next Tuesday.

Also on the list are the Office of the Vice president, the
Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, Office of the
Secretary to Government of the Federation (OSGF), Office of the
Head of Service of the Federation (OHSF), the Accountant General of
the Federation (AGF) and Auditor General of the Federation.

Others are the representatives of the ministry of finance, the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), the
Budget Office of the Federation and the Nigeria Bar Association
(NBA).

Chairman of the House ad hoc committee investigating the modus
operandi of the Special Presidential Investigative Panel, Hon.
Aliyu Ahman-Pategi who issued the threat yesterday warned that the
affected persons must appear in person.

At the commencement of the investigation yesterday, most of the
heads of the affected ministries, department and agencies (MDAs)
were either absent or sent representatives forcing the committee to
postpone the probe.

Addressing representatives of the chairman of the presidential
panel, Ahman-Pategi said “we will not take that arrogance here.
Even if it means inviting President Muhammadu Buhari we will do it.
And let me read section 88 of the constitution, which give us the
powers to do what we are doing.

“We are worried about the level of ineptitude and incompetence
exhibited by government appointees and functionaries. This should
be the last time heads of MDAs are invited here and they fail to
appear. If anybody fails to honour our invitation next Tuesday by
10 am, we will wield the big stick”

Recall that the House had in March, mandated the ad hoc
committee on the Special Investigation Panel, led by Hon.
Ahman-Pategi to probe into activities of the committee, following a
motion passed on the floor on the constitutionality and otherwise
of the presidential panel.

Consequently, the ad hoc committee had in a letter dated 28th
March 2018 and referenced NASS/8HR/DCD/016180/001 requested the
chairman of the panel to submit the list, curriculum vitae, and
certificates of its members.

The committee also demanded for documents showing “the annual
budgetary provisions for the panel since inception; list of
investigations carried out from inception to date; list of all the
seizures effected from inception till date, showing their location
and names of persons from whom the seizures where made; details of
bank account; and details of income & expenditure since
inception”.

While declaring the investigative hearing open, speaker of the
House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara said that the legislature has the
constitutional responsibility to ensure good governance, law and
order in the country.

Represented by the Deputy Minority Whip Hon. Binta Bello
Maigari, the speaker noted that the imperatives of the fight
against corruption and doing things right in line with
international best practices and added that the 1999 Constitution
has vested the power of investigation of corruption on the National
Assembly.

He expressed serious reservations on the constitution of the
probe panel added that the ad-hoc committee is not to witch-hunt
anybody rather it is to enthrone accountability and good
governance.

Other members of the ad-hoc committee as Hon. Toby Okechukwu
(Enugu, PDP) and Hon. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers, PDP) had noted with
distrust what is happening in many government agencies.

The lawmakers insisted that they won’t take any brief from a
representative of the Chairman of the Presidential Panel and other
invited government agencies at the hearing and threatened to invoke
the provisions of Sec 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution if the
invitees shun the next sitting.