Senate accuses Presidency of trying to rubbish Saraki

chika ebuzor

July 13, 2015 5:32 AM

They added that Nwaobia was officially summoned by the clerk, but she still refused to appear before the Senate.

Senate President-Bukola Saraki.

Senators loyal to Senate President, Bukola Saraki have accused the Presidency of encouraging Permanent Secretaries of federal parastatals not to honour their summons.

This is coming on the heels of the decision of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Anastacia Nwaobia, not to appear before the Senate.

Our source says Nwaobia said she could not honour the Senate's invitation, unless she gets an approval from her supervisor.

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Pro-Saraki senators say this is an affront to the Senate President.

An excerpt of the letter written to the Permanent Secretary obtained from Punch Newspapers, read: “I refer to our letter Ref. No. NASS/S//SP/ COS/CORRP/15/1/06 of June 29, 2015 on the above subject matter and your text message of July 7, 2015 to the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, signifying your inability to honour the invitation. Your action is a deliberate violation of the provisions of Section 67(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended).You are, therefore, requested to appear before the Senate leadership as contained in your aforementioned letter on Wednesday July 8, 2015 at 2.00pm prompt.”

Read 'Saraki, Dogara are loyal to PDP' - Party says

In an interview with Punch Newspapers, a senator loyal to the Senate President said “It will not augur well for our democracy if the Presidency will not allow civil servants to do their jobs. We should not carry the crisis in the APC to the Senate.”

You will recall that Senator Bukola Saraki contested for, and won the Senate elections, against the wish of his party-APC.

chika ebuzor