The Senate on Thursday disowned the reported arrest warrant issued against former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, and also distanced itself from remarks made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole against the state-owned oil company.
The decision followed a motion presented during plenary by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who clarified that no Senate committee has the authority to issue, approve, or enforce a warrant of arrest without following the provisions of the law and obtaining approval from Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The clarification came a day after the Senate Committee on Public Accounts reportedly recommended an arrest warrant for Kyari over his alleged failure to appear before the committee during its investigation into issues linked to an alleged unaccounted N210 trillion.
Bamidele told lawmakers that powers affecting the liberty of any citizen must be exercised strictly according to legal procedures.
He also warned that committees acting outside their mandate could be engaging in an unlawful exercise of authority.
The Senate Leader further expressed concern over comments made during the investigation, noting that public statements by lawmakers could be wrongly interpreted as the official position of the Senate and affect confidence in the fairness of ongoing oversight activities.
Following deliberations, the Senate adopted a resolution stating that Oshiomhole’s comments about NNPCL did not represent the official opinion, findings, or position of the upper legislative chamber.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin supported the motion and maintained that Senate committees remain subordinate to the full chamber.
According to him, committees are only empowered to make recommendations and cannot independently exercise powers reserved for the Senate.
He said the committee had gone beyond its limits and stressed the need for lawmakers to always operate within constitutional and procedural boundaries.
Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno backed the move, saying the Senate must be seen as an institution that obeys the same laws it makes for the country. He described the motion as a reminder for committees to strictly follow constitutional provisions and Senate rules.
Also speaking, Senator Abba Moro urged lawmakers to maintain decorum and avoid statements capable of damaging the reputation of individuals and public officials.
Former Kebbi State governor and senator, Adamu Aliero, criticised Oshiomhole’s remarks, warning that such comments could send negative signals to foreign investors and affect Nigeria’s image abroad. He called on the Senate to clearly separate itself from the statement.
Similarly, former Abia State governor and senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, defended the importance of NNPCL to the country's economy and urged Oshiomhole to withdraw the comments.
Responding during the session, Oshiomhole said his remarks were made while defending lawmakers against allegations from NNPCL officials. He stated that he had no intention of bringing the Senate into disrepute and was willing to apologise if that reflected the position of the chamber.
The Edo North senator also reminded lawmakers that the Senate had earlier considered allegations in the Auditor-General’s report concerning the reported N210 trillion that auditors allegedly could not account for. He maintained that the investigation and concerns surrounding Kyari’s failure to appear before the committee were the issues that triggered the controversy.
His remarks briefly caused tension in the chamber before Akpabio intervened and restored order. The Senate President reminded members that the debate was limited to Oshiomhole’s comments and the reported arrest warrant issue.
The development came shortly after reports emerged that Kyari had informed the committee that he was outside Nigeria receiving medical treatment. A letter said to have been signed by the former NNPCL chief reportedly surfaced after news of the arrest warrant recommendation became public.
.jpeg)
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!