Kogi Assembly threatens finance commissioner with arrest for shunning invitation

The Kogi State House of Assembly on Friday threatened to issue a warrant for the arrest of the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Asiru Idris, if he fails to appear before the House next week.

The Chairman of the House Special Committee on Public Account, Hilarion Collins Musa, stated this during the plenary in Lokoja.

He said the commissioner has continually refused to appear before the House.

The chairman directed Idris to appear before the lawmakers next Thursday.

Musa said: “The committee had invited the commissioner with the invitation duly served, but he refused to appear before the committee without any explanation.

“In return, the commissioner invited the committee to a meeting at the Revenue House and, thereon, the committee made demands of specific evidence pursuant to its consideration of the report by the State Auditor General on the Audited Accounts of the state.

READ ALSO: Kogi Assembly lacks constitutional backing to impeach Achuba –Abaribe

“The Rt. Hon. Speaker and distinguished Hon Colleagues, it is now over six months, the commissioner has neither replied nor availed the committee with the evidence required for further consideration of the report by the State Auditor General.

“I, therefore, move that the Hon. Commissioner, by the powers conferred on this State House of Assembly, be compelled firstly by the Resolution of this House to appear before the committee and secondly upon his failure to act accordingly, be compelled through the issuance of a warrant in line with Section 129 (1) (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended to appear accordingly”.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now