The Senate on Tuesday, August 25, said the probe of the EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde will still take place as planned despite the recent controversy of some PDP senators on the proposed probe.
This was disclosed in Abuja by Sen. Samuel Anyawu, the senate committee chairman on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions while speaking with newsmen.
He added that Sen.Godswill Akpabio, the senate minority leader was misinformed when he said in a press statement that the senate had already stood the issue down at the plenary and expressed regret over the statement.
He said the only thing that was stood down at the plenary was the invitation of the CBN governor regarding naira depreciation.
“It is not only EFCC boss that was invited but there are other petitions which we have invited the petitioners and those that were petitioned against.
“We have the FIRS and Comptroller General of Customs that are also coming tomorrow, so, I don’t know why this should be an issue.
“We are guided by the Senate Standing Rule and the 1999 Constitution to invite anybody when the matter arises.
“If you look at the press statement by the Minority Leader of the party, Sen. Akpabio, it was a misinformation.
“There was an amendment of a motion at the floor of the Senate where the CBN Governor was to be invited with the EFCC boss regarding naira depreciation and all that. So, he thought that it was the same issue,” he said.
He denied that the senate was against Lamorde because of the anti-graft agency’s invitation to Mrs Toyin Saraki, the wife of the Senate president .
He said that the senate was on recess but some key committees will still have to meet during the recess so as to have reports to present on the floor upon the resumption of the senate.
“The issue of invitation of Senate President’s wife has nothing to do with our job. It is not on that basis (motion) that we are inviting the EFCC boss.
“If somebody brings a petition against the EFCC boss, the person is a Nigerian so he has the right and as long as he will come before the committee to substantiate the petition, we must take it serious.
“If we don’t take it up, people will say probably we have been settled that is why we didn’t bring up the matter. It is only a mere allegation. We cannot convict anybody, we are not a law court,” he said.
Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim (APC Kwara South) who also spoke to newsmen said that the allegation against them to get back for summoning Mrs Saraki was ‘laughable’.
“Every Nigerian has the right to write to the Senate and all issues will be taken very seriously without bias by this 8th Senate. We have keyed in totally to the anti-corruption fight as being led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The parties involve just need to proof their facts and the Senate will make appropriate recommendations to be executed or not by the Executive,” he said.
Other senators who spoke to newsmen equally clarified that the invitation of the EFCC helmsman had nothing to do with the commission’s invitation of Mrs Saraki.
Naij.com recalls that Mr Lamorde was summoned to appear before the senate committee by 10.am on Wednesday, over allegations that he diverted over N1 trillion which was recovered from convicted persons by the agency.
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