Gbajabiamila threatens to issue arrest warrant on Emefiele

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiala, said he would not hesitate to ask the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to issue an arrest warrant against Godwin Emefiele to compel the central bank chief to appear before the House.

Mr Gbajabiamila stated this Thursday in reaction to the report presented by the Majority Leader, Alhassan Doguwa, who chaired the ad hoc committee set up to interface with the Bankers Committee and the CBN.

Mr. Doguwa told the House that CBN and Mr. Emefiele did not honor the invitation to appear before the committee on Wednesday.

“The committee invited the CBN yesterday, and we decided to take a special governor yesterday, we invited the CBN governor yesterday, to come with the central bank officials. I want to say, with a sense of responsibility, that the committee was adjourned due to the absence – a clear refusal of the CBN to appear.

“The governor was not there and no one else came to replace the CBN governor. My committee sat without him. We spoke to the CBN liaison and he said he got the letter late. As an institution, we give him the benefit of the doubt. We gave him 1 p.m. ,” he said.

In his response, Mr Gbajabiamila said he was willing to trigger section 89(1)(d) of the 1999 constitution, which gives the House the power to direct security agencies to issue arrest warrants against anyone.

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“Therefore, I will, under 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 for the Inspector General of the Nigerian Police to compel the attendance of the CBN or the Managing Director who fails, refuses or neglects to respond to summons by the House of Representatives,” he said.

Details to follow…