You must face Senate probe if you have nothing to hide, Saraki tells IGP Idris

Barely one day after Senate ad hoc committee investigating various allegations leveled against the Police and the Police Service Commission (PSC), threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki has pointedly told the police chief to appear if he has nothing to hide.

Responding to a point of order raised by the chairman of the committee probing the IGP, Senator Francis Alimikhena, Saraki reinstated the panel’s position that no court of law can halt the National Assembly from carrying out its constitutional functions.

Saraki who revealed that previous judicial pronouncements had already made it clear that no court can interfere or stop the Senate from carrying out its duties, told the committee to go ahead and investigate those named in the allegation.

He said: “As the chief law enforcement officer, he should know what the law is and he should know that he cannot stop the Senate from doing its job. There are several judicial pronouncements on this issue and I expect him to know these things.

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“He should be advised to do the right thing and appear before the Senate. If you have nothing to hide, you should appear before the committee like any other Nigerian.”

Alimikhena, had while raising his point of order, briefed the Senate on the position taken by his committee. He also informed the Senate that it had been advised to jettison the probe by the IGP’s lawyer, Mr. Alex Izinyon. He however added that the committee was going ahead with the probe.

“I want to inform the Senate that IGP failed to appear before the committee. The committee received a letter from his lawyer. We were told to suspend it or keep it in abeyance. The letter from the lawyers cannot stop us from performing our roles,” he said.

Alimikhena, on Wednesday, informed Senate Correspondents that the IGP was summoned on the 16th of October in a letter, to appear before the panel, to respond to allegations made against him by Senator Isah Hamman Misau.

Quoting Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, Alimikhena said Idris will be summoned again and must appear next Tuesday, 7th of November. Failure to appear, Alimikhena said, the Senate will invoke relevant sections of the law.

“We invited the IGP to appear before our committee. This morning (yesterday), we got a letter from his lawyer, Alex Izinyon, that he will not appear before this committee. He said the IGP has already gone to court and appearing will be subjudice.

“It is our duty as a parliament to investigate the allegations raised. This committee was set up before they went to court. We cannot be stopped. No court can stop us from carrying out our duties. There is separation of powers. No court can stop us.

“We will invite him again next Tuesday. There are issues about virement in the 2017 budget which Misau also raised. We need him to respond to these allegations. We will invite him again and he will appear before us. If he fails to appear, we will invoke Section 89 of the 1999 constitution, as amended,” he had said on Wednesday.

By Ehisuan Odia…

 

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