House threatens to issue bench warrant on Akunyili
The House of
Representatives’ Committee on Communications yesterday threatened to
issue a bench warrant on the Information and Communications Minister,
Dora Akunyili following her repeated failure to appear before it.
The chairman of the
committee, Dave Salako (PDP, Ogun), said it had to resort to it since
Mrs Akunyili refused to appear before it to explain the circumstance
surrounding the abandonment of the rural telephony projects across the
country.
Mr Salako noted
that in the last five months, the committee had invited the minister
eight times but she did not honour the invitations.
According to him, she was invited on August 17, September. 10, 12 and 17, October. 3, 20 and 28 and Dec. 2, 2010.
He stated that the
minister, on one occasion replied and said that the committee’s
invitation did not get to her yet it was acknowledged by her aide.
“Each time we write
to invite her; she will backdate the response and give all form of
excuses. We had exhausted all avenues but it seems, she was not ready
to yield” he said. “Here we are again, the Minister is not here neither
does she send any representatives to the committee to answer all
allegations and issues surrounding the abandoned rural telephony
projects” Mr Salako said.
Decision time Friday
Mr Salako, after a
unanimous resolution, to invoke section 89 (1) (d) of the 1999
constitution which gives the Parliament the power to issue a warrant to
compel the attendance of any person, said the committee will inform the
minister on Friday about its resolution.
The lawmaker also said that if after the letter the minister refuses
to appear on Tuesday Dec. 14, the Committee will seek the approval of
the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole to issue a warrant of arrest on her as
empowered by section 89 (2).
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