The House of Representatives has given the Coalition of United Political Parties 24 hours to substantiate the allegation that the parliament’s leadership was paid $10m to introduce and pass the controversial Quarantine Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2020.
The House issued the ultimatum in Abuja on Monday at an investigative hearing organised by an ad hoc committee it set up to probe the allegation.
The spokesman for the CUPP, Imo Ugochinyere, who made the allegation in a statement, refused to appear before the panel.
Ugochinyere had, on behalf of the CUPP, in the statement, claimed to have had intelligence that the leadership of the House was being sponsored by vested international interests to foist the bill on the country.
The statement had read, “This intelligence is coupled with the information of the alleged receipt, from sources outside the country but very interested in the bill, of the sum of $10m by the sponsors and promoters of the bill to distribute among lawmakers to ensure a smooth passage of the bill.”
While denying the allegation on May 5, 2020, the House had resolved to investigate and identify those who made the allegation towards dragging them to court.
The Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, had both defended their caucuses.
The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, had set up a 15-man ad hoc committee to carry out the probe, based on a prayer by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase.
At the hearing on Monday, Ugochinyere was represented by his lawyers, who told the panel that the House had been dragged to a Federal High Court to discontinue the probe.
The lawmakers, who were angered by the submission made by the lawyers, however, insisted on receiving his defence within 72 hours or appearance on Thursday, failing which they would conclude the probe and make recommendations to the House.
Chairman of the committee, Mr Henry Nwawuba, said, “We have a mandate to investigate an allegation (made) by your client. Any attempt in whatever manner to derail this committee from operating with its own guide will not work.
“What I will advise is that you, let your principal (Ugochinyere) know (that) if he has any process that he wants to adopt, this is a parliament, we make laws, we do not break laws; you cannot bring a letter on the day of sitting to try to stop the sitting, when for the past one week we have made several attempts to engage. We think that it is out of order, based on the submissions that you have heard and our rules.
Ugochinyere’s lawyers, who addressed journalists after the hearing, however, dismissed the ultimatum.
Leader of the team, Mr Tochukwu Ohazuruike, said, “We heard in the news, Ikenga (Ugochinyere) was never invited by this committee. He has not denied that he made a statement on the 4th of May, 2020, on the issues being discussed here but he was never invited.
“We only heard it in the news that there was going to be a hearing on this issue and that the Speaker had set up a committee to investigate it, which makes the Speaker a judge in his own case.
“He (Ugochinyere) approached a Federal High Court and filed a suit to challenge that breach of the rule of natural justice, that a man should not be a judge in his own case. The Clerk to the National Assembly has been served; the Clerk to the House has been served and attempts have been made by the bailiff to serve the chairman of the panel but he refused to acknowledge service.”
Responding to a question on whether Ugochinyere would appear before the panel on Thursday, Ohazuruike said, “The committee, whatever they are doing, up till now is null and void because there is a suit and they have been served. The Constitution says that Ikenga should not come here. And on Thursday, his legal representatives will be here again.”
