Senate plans issuance of arrest warrants on Umahi, Dabiri-Erewa, others for ignoring summons

The Senate may issue warrants of arrest for Minister of Works, David Umahi, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, among others, due to their alleged repeated failure to respond to invitations from the Senate’s Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.

The chief executives of several other public agencies, including Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, and Sally Best Properties Limited, are also reportedly at risk of arrest.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio gave the directive for the issuance of arrest warrants during last Wednesday’s plenary, following a request by Senator Neda Imasuen (LP – Edo South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.

Senator Imasuen expressed frustration over the consistent refusal of these agency heads to appear before the committee to address petitions filed by aggrieved Nigerians and corporate entities.

Citing Order 42 of the Senate’s Standing Rules, Imasuen highlighted the agencies’ disregard for multiple invitations to defend the petitions lodged against them.

He then requested the Senate to mandate his committee to issue warrant of arrests against the recalcitrant heads of the affected institutions.

Being a request made through personal explanation, Akpabio granted it, saying, “You already have the power as provided for by Section 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution. Please use it by issuing warrant of arrest against any head of agency refusing to appear before the public petition committee.

“The appearance of the invited heads of agencies before the committee is very important for justice and fairness on issues raised against them in the petitions before the Senate through the Public Petitions Committee.”

After getting the Senate’s nod, Senator Imasuen told journalists that the list of the affected agencies would be released at the appropriate time, which he did on Sunday through a statement.

In the statement, Imasuen said, “Fresh letters of invitations have been sent to heads of the affected agencies following which warrant of arrests would be issued if any one of them fails to appear.”

He added that aside warrant of arrests to be issued against heads of the affected agencies, his panel would this week, consider a petition submitted by Mr Onyebuchi Obioha on alleged withholding of her daughter’s result by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) based on a ‘vindictive report written against her by one of the examination supervisors.’