The Senate Tuesday through its Commitee on Public Accounts , vowed to use Constitutional Power to Force the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Rtd. Gen. Muhammad Buba Marwa and National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Munguno to appear before it.
Senate’s looming wrath against the NSA and Marwa , is sequel to queries on alleged financial infractions slammed against their offices by the Auditor General of the Federation.
While NDLEA has alleged in the Audit report ,has a total of 11 queries totaling N467million , the Office of National Security Adviser is expected to address the issue of alleged illegal divertion of N3.5 billion meant for National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to acquire vehicles for Military Officers.
Angered by refusal of Marwa and Munguno to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee, The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Mathew Urhoghide ( PDP Edo South) , vowed that the National Assembly will use every Conditional means to make the duo appear before the Committee for required clarifications on the issue raised in the Auditor General’s Report.
“We wrote to NDLEA in 2018 to come appear before us , they did not respond , but acknowledge the letter and another letter was written on February 1, 2021 three years after, they only sent written response, they are supposed to appear physically, they acknowledge the letter and sent response on March 21.
“We wrote a letter they didn’t do physical appearance, we wrote another letter to them on June 9th and scheduled the agency to appear before us 30th of June, NDLEA refused to appear , they only acknowledge the letter.
“On 30th of August , we wrote another letter to the NDLEA for them to appear on September 29th and they also refused to appear physically.
“We don’t have reference for personality , nobody is bigger than us , we advice them in their best interest to appear, we are warning them for the last time , we are going to use every Constitutional means to force them to appear before us”, he threatened..
On the NSA, the Chairman said, “the committee is investigating the Office of the National Security Adviser over alleged diversion of N3.5 billion meant for National National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to acquire vehicles for Military Officers..
“NSA should come and clarify, we do not have other issue directly with him, we implore him to send any person of competence or appear in person if his schedule of duties cannot afford him.” .
But reacting to invitation and threat of warrant of arrest , the Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi in a telephone conversation said the agency under Marwa has not received any invitation to that effect..
“I have checked through all the relevant channels within the agency and nobody is aware or has received any such invitation from the Senate committee. “I’m however aware that the issues raised had been adequately addressed by the previous leadership of the agency long before the incumbent chairman/chief executive came into office,” he said.
