By Henry Umoru, ABUJA
The Senate has dissociated itself from the warrant of arrest issued against Mallam Mele Kyari, former Group Chief Executive Officer, GCEO, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, Limited, by its committee on public accounts.
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The Senate resolved that no committee shall purport to issue, authorise or execute a warrant except in strict compliance with the provisions of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and with the approval of the Senate president.
The upper legislative chamber also distanced itself from comments attributed to Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who described the NNPC as a “bunch of criminals and thieves” during the committee’s hearing.
Recall that the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, on Wednesday, ordered Kyari’s arrest for refusing to appear before it over unaccounted N210 trillion from 2017 to 2023.
This was issued in Abuja during an investigative hearing by the Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, Gombe North Senate Committee on Public Accounts.
The warrant of arrest issued against Kyari arose from his physical absence at the investigative session conducted by the committee on the alleged unaccounted N210 trillion.
On Thursday, the matter was raised on the floor of the Senate by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) through a point of order relying on Orders 41 and 51 of the senate standing rules.
In his presentation, Bamidele asked the Senate to reaffirm that, pursuant to Sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, the authority to issue a warrant compelling the attendance of any witness before the Senate or any of its committees is vested exclusively in the Senate president.
He argued that no committee has the authority to independently issue, authorise or execute a warrant of arrest.
Meanwhile, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North), who was accused of using unparliamentary language, defended himself. The former labour leader said he used the language under provocation to defend the integrity of the Senate.
Details later.
