The Senate has decided to issue arrest warrants for several high-profile officials, including the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack; Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi; and Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for their failure to appear before the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
Additionally, heads of public agencies such as Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, and Sally Best Properties Limited also face the prospect of arrest warrants due to their noncompliance.
This resolution was prompted by complaints from Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, during a plenary session. Senator Imasuen expressed frustration over the repeated disregard for invitations sent to these officials, aimed at addressing petitions from aggrieved Nigerians and corporate entities.
In a motion presented under Senate Order 42, Senator Imasuen urged the Senate to authorize the issuance of arrest warrants, highlighting the persistent failure of these officials to respond. Senate President Godswill Akpabio supported the request, referencing Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants the Senate the authority to take such actions.
“You already have the power as provided by Section 89 of the Constitution. Please use it by issuing a warrant of arrest against any head of agencies refusing to appear before the public petition committee,” Akpabio stated.
Following this mandate, Senator Imasuen revealed that new invitation letters had been dispatched to the officials in question, with a clear warning that arrest warrants would follow if they continued to ignore the summons.
He also noted that the committee would be addressing a petition concerning the withholding of a student’s results by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), allegedly due to a vindictive report from an examination supervisor, within the week.
