ABUJA— FORMER Chairmen of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Mrs Farida Waziri, as well as Managing Director of Assets Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, Mr Mustafa Chike-Obi, yesterday, shunned the investigative hearing into seized assets allegedly worth over N2trillion.
Both past chairmen of the anti-graft agency were visibly absent at the hearing.
Also absent was the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Current chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, sent an apology letter through his Director of Finance, Mr Bukar Abba.
Acting Director General of Federal Inland Revenue Services, Mr Ahmed Kabiru, was also summoned to appear before the panel on Tuesday.
House Committee Chairman on Narcotics, Drugs and Financial Crimes, Jagaba Adams Jagaba, speaking at the hearing, tagged: “How to unravel the status of all assets seized by EFCC’, warned that chief executives who failed to appear before Wednesday would face the full wrath of the law.
[caption id="attachment_329097" align="alignnone" width="412"]
House of Representatives during plenary[/caption]Jagaba, not particularly happy that the EFCC boss did not show up, asked his representative when his boss would appear before the committee.
In his response, EFCC Director of Finance said his boss would appear hopefully on Wednedsady.
At this point, Jagaba said: “Section 89 sub section 1c of the constitution empowers us to summon any person and we can declare you wanted if the need arises".
A member of the Committee, Sunday Adepoju, declared that “this committee would not accept the EFCC chairman’s apologies because he did not personally sign the letter.”
But Warman Ogoriba, representing Bayelsa State, countered, saying "let us oblige them since they have promised to show up another day.
He said: “It is important for him to appear before this panel because Nigerians want to know what happened to those seized assets.”
Referring to the MD of AMCON, Yakubu Dogara, said: “We summon people because our action is laced by law, Section 89 sub section 1c spells it out that we can summon anybody in pursuance of an investigation like this.
Dogara said: "Your non-appearance before us is equivalent to taking arms against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"If we repeal the Act establishing AMCON, the MD would lose his job. This culture of impunity must stop because if they do not come, then what are we doing here?
Chairman of the committee, however, ruled that the MD of AMCON must appear before the committee by 10am today.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, called for proper accountability in the seized assets by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, saying a situation where monies, landed property and business concerns estimated at N2 trillion was not properly managed was unacceptable.
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