Alleged forgery: Saraki orders AGF to appear beforeSenate or else…

By Ebere Ndukwu …

The Senate Tuesday afforded Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), a third opportunity to appear before it.

While making the summon Senate President Bukola Saraki, said that if he fails, the Senate will have no option but invoke constitutional provisions on such issues.

The AGF failed to appear in two previous summons by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, to explain his alleged role in the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu over alleged forgery of 2015 Standing Orders.

The Senate decided to summon the AGF for the third time after a motion moved by the chairman of the committee, Sen. David Umaru, at plenary.

Umaru in the motion recalled that the Justice Minister failed to appear before the committee on two occasions despite being formerly summoned and regardless of the fact that Senate has powers to invite office holders to answer to questions over issues of concern.

He said, “On June 21, the chamber resolved on a matter of urgent public importance which has imminent threat to Nigeria following a motion sponsored by Sen. Dino Melaye.

“The resolution of the senate was for the committee on judiciary to invite him to explain the reasons behind the attempt to press charges against principal officers of this hallowed chamber. In line with the directive, we invited him on the 23rd of June; he did not appear but a letter was received that he needed more time to articulate his position and that he was out of the country.

Read also: Malami must explain his personal interest in Saraki’s forgery case – Senate

“We obliged him and rescheduled another meeting for the 30th of June; on that day, he still did not appear but somebody who claimed to be Mr Obla appeared to say he was appearing on behalf of the minister. We told him he was not an invitee and he was asked to leave,’’ he said.

Umaru then called on the Senate to give the minister another chance, adding that he had pleaded for another opportunity to appear before the committee, adding that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, had communicated to him over the AGF’s regret for failing to respond to the invitation.

Remarking on the motion, which was unanimously adopted by the legislators, president of the Senate, Saraki, said the Senate is giving AGF a last chance to appear before it and answer to his alleged role in the forgery case.

Adding that his failure to honour the invitation would force the senate to invoke constitutional provisions on such issues, Saraki said, “We have all heard him. It appears that he is requesting for more time and I think that we should do that otherwise we will follow the Constitution strictly.’’

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