THE Senate has threatened to issue an arrest warrant against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar.
This was after the CCT boss attempted to stop his probe in the upper chamber with originating summons from the Court yesterday.
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions is currently investigating Umar over a case of alleged assault against one Clement Sagwak in March this year.
Obviously angered by the development, the Committee described the originating summons as a fruitless ambush.
The panel therefore gave the embattled CCT Chairman, two weeks (July 27) to appear before it unfailingly or risk issuance of warrant of arrest against him.
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The committee had on the strength of petition forwarded to it by Sagwak’s lawyer, Timzing Venyir Ramnal, summoned Umar to appear before it which he did once in April and begged for time to study the petition.
Since then, the CCT Chairman has refused to appear before the Committee on grounds of alleged indisposition.
The Committee chaired by Senator Ayo Akinyelure representing PDP Ondo Central, ordered that Umar must unfailing appear before it on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.
But at the session, an attorney to Umar, Toluwa Odekhe, told the Commitee that the matter is already in court and has two originating summons to that effect.
He said, “Distinguished Chairman of this committee and other members, I most respectfully on behalf of my client, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, inform you that the matter scheduled for discuss here, is already in court and any move to continue any form of proceedings on it, is subjudice “, he said .
The Chairman of the Committee, replied him that his action was a clear ambush which would not work because as provided for in the 1999 Constitution, no arm of government can stop another arm from doing its constitutionally mandated work.
Akinyelure said, “From repeated excuses of indisposition given within the last two months, you are now coming up with subjudice to frustrate the Committee from forging ahead with investigation on assault your client visited on another fellow Nigerian.
“This committee will not be cowed by the purported originating summons because none of the parties went to court before it started its investigation on petition bordering on assaults.
“Therefore, Danladi Umar, wherever you are on your sick bed, you must appear before this Committee in two weeks time unfailingly to avoid invocation of section 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution which borders on warrant of arrest,” he said.
