Senate threatens to arrest AGF, summons SGF again

Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation

•Appropriation committee to grill Finance, Budget ministers tomorrow

THE Senate, on Tuesday, threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, if he, again, fails to heed the Senate summon.

The lawmakers came to the conclusion, following Malami’s refusal to heed two previous calls by the senators for his appearance.

At the plenary on Tuesday, Senator David Umaru, chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, had reported that Malami had shunned the committee meeting meant to investigate his decision to prosecute presiding officers of the Senate over alleged forgery.

The Senate resolved that the AGF should appear before the committee on Friday, this week, having failed to honour two previous summons issued him by the committee.

Senator Umaru, in a report to the Senate, had told the chamber that Malami had not honoured any of the invitations extended to him by the committee since last month.

“Mr President, I have been informed by Senator Ita Enag and I have received lots of attempt to reach me by the Attorney-General of the Federation. Senator Enag has informed me that the Attorney-General regrets his inability to respond to our petition and that he requests time to appear before us.

“I think it is important for the distinguished colleagues to be informed about this development and for us to request for more time to give him the opportunity to appear since he has indicated his willingness to appear before the committee,” Umaru said.

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, however, ruled that if the AGF failed to appear before the committee this week, the Senate would have no other option but to exercise its constitutional powers by issuing a warrant of arrest on him and compel him to appear.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate summoned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, over his comments that constituency projects’ implementation was doubtful this year, due to dwindling resources in the country.

Senators at the session insisted that it would amount to impeachable offence against the president if it was confirmed that the opposition to the implementation of the constituency projects was the government’s stance.

The Senate also resolved that the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and her counterpart at National Planning and Budget, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, are to appear before its Committee on Appropriation, to discuss modalities on ground for the implementation of this year’s budget.

The duo are scheduled to appear before the committee tomorrow.