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The Senate has clarified on its move to investigate alleged involvement of Deputy President, Ovie Omo-Agege in the stealing of mace during the Eighth Assembly, declaring that it may close the case as soon as practicable.
Senate’s position is coming as pressure continues to mount on Senate President, Ahmad Lawan to open immediate investigation over Omo-Agege’s alleged conviction by a California (U.S.) Court for alleged perjury.
The Directorate of State Services (DSS) had last week received a petition from a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) asking it to investigate Omo-Agege’s purported conviction in California in 1996 for alleged perjury.
Senate spokesman, Godiya Akwashiki, told journalists in an interview that the Ninth Senate would not investigate the mace theft allegation because there was the need to allow the matter to die with the Eighth Senate.
“As far as I am concerned, anything that affects the Eighth National Assembly or any uncompleted report expired with the life of the last Assembly. Any bills that were passed but not signed into law have expired with the last Assembly.
“As far as the Ninth National Assembly is concerned, even if we want to enact a bill, we have to start afresh. Any unresolved issue in the Eighth Assembly has gone forever. So, the implication is that the report of mace snatching has gone with the last Senate,” he explained.
National Assembly ad hoc joint committee probing the theft of the mace had submitted a report to that effect in both chambers since last year in which the committee headed by Bala Ibn Na’Allah reportedly indicted Omo-Agege.
It was also reported that the committee had recommended Omo-Agege’s suspension even as a source close revealed that the panel based its recommendation on relevant potions of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act 2017.
Contrary to a recent court ruling that the National Assembly has no powers to suspend its members, the committee was convinced that Omo-Agege breached sections of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act 2017,” he said.
Besides, it was learnt that the committee may ask for the prosecution of the lawmaker for treasonable felony, insisting that on April 18, 2018, some hoodlums forced their way into the Senate Chamber during plenary and carted away the mace, which was found after some days around the Abuja city gate.
On the alleged conviction of Omo-Agege by a Court in California, a lawmaker said although some senators may be worried by the allegations, they should await the Senate leadership action on the matter.
He said it was too hasty for any Senator to rush to the point of sponsoring a motion to compel the upper legislative chamber to investigate the matter, adding that the Senate leadership was expected to clarify the allegation.
Meanwhile, Omo-Agege has insisted that although he was tried at a California Court, he was acquitted.
His Media Adviser, Yomi Odunuga, in a statement declared, “The fact is that at a point in his legal career in California, Omo-Agege was alleged to have broken the law, but in the end, he was acquitted.”
