By Moses Okorie
365Daily – The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on the Need to Review the Purchase, Use and Control of Arms, Ammunition and Related Hardware by Military, Paramilitary and Other Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria has summoned the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru.
The Committee had earlier invited Emefiele, Attahiru, several other security agency heads and ministries to appear on Monday, March, 22, but, Emefiele and the COAS, who were to lead in addressing the committee on Monday, did not show up.
The committee has given them till April 7 to appear unfailingly.
This was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Bede Eke (PDP-Imo) at the Committee’s meeting on Monday, March 22, 2021.
Eke explained while moving the motion for the summon that it was time for the committee to take hard decision against the duo because they failed to meet honour five previous invitations.
The lawmaker said, “CBN has been a problem to this house and they cannot operate the way they are operating and this house will keep quiet because we approve their budget.
“What are we asking for? Come and tell us how much we have paid for the purchase of arms; we have given you the right to fair hearing.
“Are you hiding anything? We will not allow it, if there is something you are hiding because you are CBN, we will not allow it.
“People are killed everyday, I want to move a motion because we do not have time; we come here everyday, sit for hours and wait for a government agency.
“I move that we summon especially the COAS and CBN, enough is enough, let them be summoned, that is when they will know we are serious.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Olaide Akinremi (APC-Oyo) explained that the Ministries of Finance and Interior, as well as the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) also failed to appear before the panel. For the Ministry of Defence, he said the Committee received a communication from it requesting for a new appearance date, which was granted.
Hon. Akinremi stressed that the invitations extended to the public officers were in line with section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which confers powers on the committee to summon any public officer to appear and give account on a subject under investigation.