The House of Representatives ad hoc Committee on Arms and Ammunition has summoned the Chief of Army Staff, and the Central Bank Governor to clarify issues on the purchase of military Hardware by the Nigerian Army.
Lt.-Gen. Attahiru Ibrahim and Mr Godwin Emiefele are to appear before the committee on Wednesday, April 7 and account for the monies released for the purchase of military hardware.
This followed a unanimous adoption of a motion moved by a member of the Committee, Mr Bede Eke from Imo State at its sitting on Monday in Abuja.
Moving the motion, Mr Eke said that the summon became necessary following the refusal of the public officers to honour several invitations extended to them by the committee saying that, it was time for the committee to take hard decisions against the public officers.
“CBN has been a problem having this house and they cannot operate the way they are operating and this house will keep quiet because we approve their budget.
What are we asking for? Come and tell us how much we have paid for the purchase of arms; we have given you the right to a fair hearing.
Are you hiding anything? We will not allow it, if there is something you are hiding because you are CBN, we will not allow it.
People are killed every day.” He said.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Olaide Akinremi from Oyo State told the lawmakers that the committee expected the Ministries of Finance, Defence, Interior, CBN, COAS and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to appear.
He said that the Ministry of Defence had earlier written to the committee to seek a later date to appear and it was granted but that the committee had been waiting for three hours for the invited public officers but they failed to show up.
The chairman explained that the invitations extended to the public officers are in line with section 88 of the 1999 Constitution as amended which confers powers to summon any public officer to appear and give account.
Contributing to the motion, Alh. Ibrahim Aliyu from Sokoto State said that the public officer needed to come to terms with the gravity of the investigation and that the committee has information and documents and was only giving the officers an opportunity for a fair hearing.
The committee was constituted to investigate the purchase of arms and ammunition by the military and paramilitary in the country.
Nnenna.O
