SAN FRANCISCO, July 01, (THEWILL) – The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legislative Matters (Senate), Ita Enang has apologised to the Upper Chamber over the statement made by the representative of the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, after meeting with the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
Following the summon extended to the AGF, Abubakar Malami to explain why he charged Senate President Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, to court for alleged forgery, the Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution attached to the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla was sent to represent him.
The committee however walked Obono-Obla out of the chamber, saying: “Our invitation is for the AGF and not you. So, we cannot listen to you. We will report back to the plenary for us to take decision on this.”
Obono-Obla, who spoke to newsmen after leaving the committee chamber, said the alleged forgery suit against Saraki and Ekweremadu, is not an internal affair of the Senate, adding that “the Senate had no right to invite the AGF… the AGF is not answerable to the senate.”
But tendering the apology while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on Friday, Enang said it was wrong for Obono-Obla to have said that the senate had no right to have invited the AGF, assuring that “When he is in, we will make arrangement for him to respond appropriately: we want to apologise pending when he is back to respond appropriately.”
Enang, who was a member of the senate in the seventh Assembly, said; “I heard the statements after and I want to apologise to the distinguished senate, to the committee on judiciary and to the distinguished senators.
“That statement ought not to have been made: the attorney-general is attorney-general of the federation, appointed by Mr President, cleared by the senate and responsible to the federation.
“We are going into this matter, we will handle this matter but I first have to tender my unreserved apology for the impression it may have created to the distinguished senate, senators and the committee members.”
The presidential aide, who disclosed that Malami was unavoidably absent, assured that the issue would be resolved, adding that “the attorney-general spoke with me yesterday on the matter in the morning that he is on official assignment on behalf of the country.”
