The Edo State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Museum of West African Art and Radisson Hotel projects has threatened to issue arrest warrants against former Governor Godwin Obaseki and other officials for refusing to appear before it.
The committee, constituted following a request by Governor Monday Okpebholo to probe the funding and ownership of the projects, stated on Thursday that it has the power to order the police to bring any individual before it to answer questions.
Besides Obaseki, others invited include former Edo Finance Commissioner, Joseph Eboigbe; former Attorney-General, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi; Managing Director of Tilbury House Nigeria Limited, Pramod Thorat; Project Manager of Hospitality Investment and Management Company, Ugochukwu Anigbogu; as well as the Managing Directors of Afrinvest Capital Limited, Meristem Trustees Limited and Emerging Africa Trustees Ltd.
The panel is investigating the state government’s alleged investment of ₦3.8bn in MOWAA and ₦28bn in Radisson Hotel.
Chairman of the committee, Addeh Isibor, who spoke at its resumed sitting, said Obaseki and others sent letters through their lawyers declining the invitation, citing ongoing lawsuits.
Isibor stated that the committee was on a fact-finding mission and not out to witch-hunt anyone, insisting it would submit its report based on facts.
He said, “These gentlemen have unilaterally chosen to absent themselves that there exist court cases regarding our sitting or issues under consideration.
“We know the position of the law. We are not dunces but cerebral people. We are constitutionally mandated to carry out an investigation or hearing on any matter to which we have the power of appropriation.
“The mere filing of a suit in court cannot amount to a stay of proceedings. They ran to court after we commenced the public hearing.
“No judge can stop our sitting. We will reach a decision on the matter. If you choose not to make yourself available, you cannot claim you were refused the right to a fair hearing.
“It is more offensive that none of the SANs attached court processes to the letters. They know they rushed to court at midnight. These are empty letters.
“They want to stop this committee from getting to the root of the matter. We reject the letters as lacking in merit. The Edo Assembly is not a party to the suit.
“The committee has the power to ask the police to bring those concerns here. We have no letter stopping the committee from completing its assignment.”
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