House Of Representatives Threaten To Issue Arrest Warrant For The Arrest Of Emefiele
House of Representatives has threatened to invoke its constitutional powers to compel the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to appear before it.
The lawmakers want the apex bank director to explain the reason for the scarcity of the newly redesigned N200, N500 and N1,000 notes.
According the report presented by the Majority Leader, Alhassan Doguwa, “the committee invited the CBN yesterday, and decided to take the governor specifically yesterday, we invited the CBN governor yesterday, to come with the officials of the central bank. I want to say, with all sense of responsibility, that the committee was delayed by the absence – flagrant refusal of the CBN to make an appearance.
“The governor was not there and no other person came in place of the CBN governor. My committee sat without them. We spoke with the liaison of the CBN and he said they got the letter late. As an institution, we gave them a benefit of the doubt. We gave them 1 p.m.,” he said.
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In his response, Mr Gbajabiamila said he is willing to trigger section 89(1)(d) of the 1999 constitution, which gives the House the power to direct security agencies to order an arrest warrant against anyone.
“Therefore, I will, pursuant to the authority conferred by Section 89 (1)(d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Order 19 (2)(1) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, not hesitate to issue a warrant to the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force to compel the attendance of the CBN or Managing Directors who fail, refuse or neglect to respond to the summons by the House of Representatives,” he said.
But Emefiele failed to honour the invitation of the ad-hoc committee on Wednesday, on the ground that he was in president Buhari’s entourage to Senegal.
The speaker on Thursday during the plenary gave the CBN director Thursday deadline to honour the invitation, or the House would move against him.
