Emmanuel Aziken and Laide Akinboade
14 May 2008
Lagos — THE Senate, yesterday, pledged to continue with its probe of some selected agencies of the Federal Government, saying such probes would make members of the executive arm accountable for their own actions in future.
The Senate spoke as it emerged that its ad-hoc committee probing the transportation sector during the Obasanjo years consulted the Minister of Transportation, Mrs. Deziani Allison-Madueke, on the funding of the sector before her appointment.
Senate spokesman, Chief Ayogu Eze, who briefed newsmen at the end of yesterday's Senate session justified the suspension of the day's session on the several probes going on in the National Assembly.
The Senate is currently probing the affairs of the past administration in transportation, the federal capital and importation of fertilisers by the past administration.
"Those who are in position of authority should know that whatever happens they will be held accountable for their activities and if you know that you will be exposed or called to answer questions later, of course you will be guided in whatever you do to follow due process and to follow rule of law that is basically what the National Assembly is trying to do, no more no less. We are expecting that some of these activities will help to shape government," he said.
He confirmed that the ad-hoc committee on the transportation sector had already contacted the Minister of Transportation and other stakeholders including the Central Bank (CBN) and the Federal Ministry of Finance with a view to commencing the probe of the transport sector.
The Senate spokesman also dismissed reports about an extra-budgetary proposal of N1 billion for the National Assembly library.
He said: "You were here when the Senate returned over N7 billion to the coffers of the Federal Government as unspent 2007 budget. So where will this extra budgetary money come from? I saw it but I thought it was just one of those things that do not deserve deeper attention because they are mere speculations that have no basis."
Senate washes hand of Iyabo's legal problem
Pulling back from its earlier justification of Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello's utilisation of proceeds from the N300 million 2007 unspent budget of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Senate yesterday declared that it could no longer account for her upon her formal charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Meanwhile, the report of the Senate Committee on Health on the National Health Bill is expected to be received today. The report flows from the Committee's trip to Ghana paid for from the unspent 2007 budget of the Ministry of Health.
Senator Eze said the formal indictment of Senator Obasanjo-Bello made it a legal matter restricting further Senate interference on the issue.
The Senate had at the end of a closed door session on April 9 cleared Senator Obasanjo-Bello and members of the Committee on Health of impropriety, saying the Ministry's act of facilitating the Committee's trip to Ghana was backed by its code of conduct.
But Senator Eze speaking against the background of the continuing stand-off between Senator Obasanjo-Bello and the EFCC over the Health Committee's utilisation of N10 million from the unspent N300 million budget of the Ministry of Health said yesterday:
"One, it is not possible that the Senate at this point in time can account for Iyabo Obasanjo. We cannot account for her because the last time we told you that once the matter is charged to court it is beyond the Senate (and) now the matter has been charged to court it is beyond the Senate."
Affirming that the Senator was on her own, he said: "The Senate cannot interfere at this point in time until she finishes her case in court. It was only about a week plus ago that EFCC was able to get the court approval to include her name in the charge sheet, at that point, the matter gets out of any comment.
"We cannot even comment about it because it is subjudice but I can tell it is now beyond the Senate," he said.
How she can be removed as Senator
On the implication of Senator Obasanjo-Bello continued absence from Senate sittings, he said attendance at Senate sessions was voluntary for Senators who nevertheless could be compelled to vacate the Senate upon confirmation of a breach of the minimum sitting requirement.
A Senator is expected to attend at least one-third of the minimum stipulated sitting days of the Senate which in a given year is 180 days.
"It is not the responsibility of the leadership or members of the Senate to fish around for a Senator who is not coming. What happens when a Senator is absent for a considerable number of times is that, an interested party or members of the constituency of the Senator concerned notifies the National Assembly leadership of the Senate, that so so and so person has been absent for so and so period and we think that constitutionally, his or her membership of the National Assembly has lapsed.
"If the records of attendance are checked and the person has not attained the constitutional period required for membership for his or her membership to continue, there is no other procedure required except to write to INEC.
"The Senate President is expected to write INEC to say that so and so person has not met the constitutional requirement, therefore conduct election to fill the vacancy. That is what the constitution requires, that is why I said it is voluntary," Senator Eze said.
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