The House of Representatives has
said it won’t sit down and watch the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim
Kpotun Idris, mess up the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation
(AGF), in what it described as “executive rascality” of the police.
This was even as the Reps also
ordered the Peace Corps of Nigeria to immediately take possession of their
office located at number 57, Iya Abubakar Crescent, off Alex Ekwueme way,
opposite Jabi Lake, Jabi, Abuja, which has been under siege by the Police since
February 28th 2017.
The order was given on Tuesday,
by the House Committee on Public Petitions, during the investigative hearing
involving the IGP, the AGF, the Minister of Interior, Minister of Youths and
Sports Development, the National Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria, Amb
(Dr.) Dickson Akoh and members of the Civil Society Organizations.
Recall that the Coalition of
Civil Society Organizations for Justice and Equity had on 25th January 2018,
petitioned the House, accusing the IGP of flagrantly disobeying subsisting
court orders in favour of the Peace Corps, making the House to mandate its
committee on public petitions to interface between the parties concerned.
At the public hearing on Tuesday,
the Peace Corps Boss, Akoh, told the committee that his organisation had
secured 12 court judgements against the Police from various courts of competent
jurisdictions, stressing the most recent judgements by Justice Gabriel Kolawole
on the 9th November 2017 and Justice John Tsoho on 15th January 2018, asking
the Police to vacate his office.
Akoh affirmed that, the office of
the AGF had written 5 different letters to the office of the IGP, advising that
outstanding judgements in favour of the Peace Corps be obeyed, “but the IGP always
pays deaf ears to the advice”.
The National Commandant also
tendered video evidence where it was alleged that IGP Idris vowed to frustrate
the Peace Corps and make sure the Bill establishing it did not recieve the
assent of the President.
On his part, Assistant
Commissioner of Police in charge of legal affairs, Henry Njoku, who represented
the Nigerian Police, said the Force had instituted an appeal against the recent
judgement of Justice Kolawole, urging the lawmakers to disregard the petition
by the group.
Njoku also told the committee
that his office needed time to study the documents, especially the annexes
exhibited by the petitioners, saying he was only making “conditional
appearance” on behalf of the Force.
When asked by the lawmakers why
the AGF didn’t guide the IGP on obeying court orders, Barr A.O. Zibiri who
represented the AGF, also corroborated what the Peace Corps Boss said,
affirming that the AGF wrote to the IGP to obey court orders.
Responding, Chairman of the House
Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Nkem Abonta, said it was wrong for the
police to continue laying siege to the corporate headquarters of the Peace
Corps, after courts of competent jurisdictions had ordered that they vacate the
premises.
“From the happenings in the
country, the Police has to sit up. The AGF seems to have records of all court
proceedings, especially, anyone that concerns the government. The Police should
not appeal against any judgement without consulting the AGF or seek the leave
of the court to do so, because, it is tax payers money they would use.
“Except you are telling us that
the Police is superior to court, if there is no stay of execution, the building
should be unsealed. We would not sit down, fold our hands and allow the IGP to
mess up the office of the AGF”, Hon Abonta said.
The lawmakers therefore resolved
that, in addition to Peace Corps taking possession of their office, the IGP and
the AGF should be compelled to appear before the committee within 7 days.
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