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The
counsel to the Lagos State House of Assembly, Festus Keyamo, on
Thursday, wrote to the lawmakers informing them of an appeal filed by
Richard Akinola, a human rights activist, on Wednesday, challenging the
power of the legislative House to probe the executive government.

“I have received
the notice of appeal filed by the claimant [Richard Akinola] against
that part of the decision of the High Court which declared that the
power of the House to investigate the governor cannot be interfered
with,” the letter stated.

According to the
letter, Mr. Akinola is appealing part of Justice Hakeem Abiru’s
judgement of March 16 where the Mr. Abiru held that the counsel to the
claimant, Babatunde Aturu, did not refer the court to any section of
the Constitution that prohibits the defendant, House of Assembly, from
constituting probe panel, as long as it follows due process.

For non-compliance
with due process, Justice Abiru quashed the first attempt by the House
to probe the activities of the executive government based on
allegations from a group called True Face of Lagos.

Last week, having
complied with the directive of the court, the House reconstituted
another probe panel which will have its first sitting on Monday, April
26.

However, while the
House has cordially entertained every request of the petitioner up till
now, the last request that the House allow the probe committee to sit
publicly seems to have been trashed.

There also is a
sense of urgency in the House’s attitude towards the probe issue, as
alleged by some pro-Fashola groups, when it gave the committee just two
weeks to conduct a thorough investigation into allegations that the
EFCC cannot finish within a month.

However, as alleged
by Mr. Keyamo in the letter, “they have also rushed to the Court to
obtain an injunction restricting the House from continuing with the
present effort to probe the activities of the governor.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing and no injunction has been given.