Anyanwu, a Peoples Democratic Party
member representing Imo East Senatorial District, who stated this in
Abuja while speaking with journalists, explained that he was not bound
by the advice of his party’s caucus in the Senate because “I take
directives only from the Senate leadership.”
He
said, “ As the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and
Public Petitions, I am answerable to the Senate in the first instance.
This committee attends to every petition that comes from the public and
the invitation to the EFCC boss is one of those petitions and the
petitioner is going to appear before the committee.
“This is a standing committee of the
Senate. It is not only the EFCC boss that has been invited, there are
other petitions and we have invited the petitioners and those that are
petitioned.”
Anyanwu said the committee had also
extended invitations to the management of the Federal Inland Revenue
Service, and the Comptroller-General of Customs, who would also appear
before it today (Wednesday).
He said, “We are guided by the Senate Standing Rule and the 1999 Constitution to invite anybody when the matter arises.”
The senator described as incorrect, an
allegation by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, that his committee
did not follow due process in the planned probe of Lamorde.
He said, “That (allegation) is not
correct. There are ways petitions can come to the Senate. A petitioner
can write straight to the Senate President and the President will send
it to the appropriate committee that is involved.”
He explained that the copy of the
petition against Lamorde had been sent to him together with the letter
of invitation, stressing that he could not determine the action the
Senate would take against the EFCC boss in case he failed to honour the
committee’s invitation.
Anyanwu said, “I cannot conclude that
(Senate action against Lamorde) now because I will be pre-empting what
is not available. Let’s wait until tomorrow (Wednesday) to know what the
Senate will do if he doesn’t come. He is not summoned, this is an
invitation.”
He explained that the press statement by
the PDP minority leaders did not represent the opinion of the entire
members of the party in the Senate because most members were not around
since the red chamber was on recess.
He debunked insinuations that his
committee was being used to execute a vendetta against the EFCC boss by
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for investigating his wife over an
alleged corruption-related issue.
Another PDP senator from Delta Central, Ighoyota Amori, cautioned the committee on its planned invitation of Lamorde.
But the senator representing Kwara South
Senatorial District, who is a prominent member of the Like Minds
Senators, Rafiu Ibrahim, said that the insinuation of a vendetta against
Lamorde was laughable.
He said, “Is it a senator that wrote the petition? Or are you expecting the Senate not to investigate such a serious allegation?
“My brother, every Nigerian has the
right to write to the Senate and all issues will be taken very serious
without bias by this 8th Senate. We have keyed in totally into the
anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The parties involved just need to proof
their facts and the Senate will make appropriate recommendations to be
executed or not by the executive.”
Attempts to get the reaction of the
Senate Unity Forum, failed as the spokesperson, Senator Kabir Marafa,
could not be reached on the telephone while he did not also respond to
the text message sent to him.
Meanwhile, Senator Peter Nwaboshi,
who submitted the petition against Lamorde written by Dr. George Uboh,
had said that he acted in good conscience and in line with the Senate
standing rules that mandated that petitions sent to the National
Assembly should be routed through the representatives of the
complainant.
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