The Senate has threatened to enable the arrest of Inpector-General (IG) Kayode Egbetokun, Central Bank Governor (CBN) Yemi Cardoso and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari.
Others facing the threat are the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Zacch Adedeji and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Adewale Adeniyi among other CEOs.
The Senate issued the threat through its Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), against the said government officials for failing to appear before the Red Chamber panel.
The officials were summoned to defend queries against them in several audit reports by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF), but declined the invitations.
The SPAC Chairman, Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, while speaking to newsmen accused the FIRS CEO of failing to honour the committee’s invitations eight times, adding that such manner is an affront on the National Assembly and an insult on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Nobody in Nigeria is above the law. We are all supposed to operate under the laws guiding our various engagements as citizens of Nigeria. If the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinibu, will set aside his enormous commitments as President to come to the National Assembly as a mark of respect to the Assembly, to present budget, I wonder how any appointee will think and feel that he is above the law or he is too busy to appear before the members of the people’s parliament.
“This is unacceptable and from today, after this press briefing, whoever invitation is extended to and he or she refuses to appear before this all-important committee, warrant of arrest will be issued and we will call on the President to disengage that person because the person does not share in the dreams of Mr. President to and for making Nigeria a better place.
“Permit me to say that from inception of this committee to date, more than eight invitations have been extended to the chairman of FIRS, who has intentionally refused to appear before this committee and also hasn’t been responding to communications at all from this committee.
“If he truly shares the dream of the Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA), I wonder why he will not come here for us to exchange what we have going forward to make Nigeria a better place.
“He should also be reminded that we, on this side of the divide, are sitting on mandate, not appointment. We are not appointed. We were elected by Nigerians.
“So, if he does not have respect for the mandate given to us by Nigerians, he should have respect for the mandate given to his boss that appointed him.
“With this, the line is drawn between this committee and the FIRS. The next appointment, I mean, invitation that is given or communication sent to him and he does not respond, warrant of arrest will be issued and we will call on the President to say that your appointee in Federal Inland Revenue Service does not share your dream and he is not helping your situation,” Wadada said.
