The Senate on Thursday reaffirmed that only the President of the Senate has the constitutional authority to summon witnesses or issue warrants of arrest on behalf of the upper chamber and its committees, distancing itself from recent actions and remarks made during the Public Accounts Committee’s probe of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The clarification followed a motion raised by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, during plenary, amid growing controversy over proceedings at a recent investigative hearing of the Senate Public Accounts Committee.
In its resolution, the Senate dissociated itself from comments attributed to Senator Adams Oshiomhole during the hearing, where the former Edo State governor reportedly described the NNPCL as “a bunch of criminals and thieves.”
The chamber also rejected and discountenanced the warrant of arrest earlier issued by the committee against former Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, stressing that such powers are vested solely in the Presiding Officer of the Senate in accordance with legislative rules and privileges.
Presenting the motion, Bamidele said the Senate remained committed to due process and would not allow actions capable of undermining the integrity of its oversight functions.
“The authority to compel the attendance of witnesses or issue warrants of arrest on behalf of the Senate resides exclusively with the Presiding Officer. No committee has the power to exercise such authority independently,” he said.
He added that while Senate committees play a critical role in oversight and investigations, their activities must be conducted strictly within the bounds of the law and established parliamentary procedures.
“The Senate is an institution guided by rules, fairness and respect for due process. We must ensure that our actions reflect these principles at all times,” Bamidele stated.
The Senate further reiterated its commitment to the principles of fair hearing, objectivity and institutional neutrality in all investigative proceedings, urging individuals appearing before its committees to conduct themselves respectfully and cooperate with lawful inquiries.
Lawmakers noted that while robust scrutiny of public institutions remains a key responsibility of the legislature, investigations must not be prejudged through comments that could create the impression of bias or predetermined conclusions.
Meanwhile, Senator Oshiomhole explained that the controversial remarks credited to him were made in the heat of exchanges during the hearing and were prompted by comments from one of the respondents.
The senator told his colleagues that he had no difficulty retracting the statement if it was considered offensive.
“My comments were made out of provocation arising from the submissions of a respondent at the hearing. I have no problem tendering an apology if my remarks are found to be inappropriate,” Oshiomhole said.
The Senate’s intervention is expected to calm tensions surrounding the ongoing investigation and reaffirm the chamber’s commitment to conducting oversight activities in a manner consistent with constitutional provisions and parliamentary best practices.
