Obono-Obla: House of reps lacks the power to investigate forgery

Okoi Obono-Obla, chairman, special presidential investigation panel on the recovery of public property, says the house of representatives is not constitutionally empowered to probe forgery.

Obono-Obla, who is the senior special assistant to the president on prosecution, is alleged to be in possession of an “invalid” O’level result, according to findings by an ad hoc panel of the lower legislative chamber of the national assembly.

The panel had said it discovered the presidential aide might have forged his way into the University of Jos where he studied and subsequently, the Nigerian Law School.

Following the resignation of Kemi Adeosun as minister of finance based on forged certificate, some Nigerians, including Chidi Odinkalu, prominent lawyer, called on the president to fire Obono-Obla if he refused to step down.

But NAN quoted Obono-Obla as saying some people were after him for daring to investigate and expose assets hidden abroad by some powerful persons in the national assembly.

“The matter is in the federal high court, Abuja. It was filed since June 2018 and the house of representatives committee was duly served but they ignored the matter and went ahead to procure false witnesses to give evidence behind me,” he said in a statement by Emmanuel Nwachukwu, his media officer.

“This is contrary to the rules of the house of representatives that says if a matter is in court it should be stayed pending its determination.

“Is the house of representatives, a court of law? The answer is No! Is the house of representatives, constitutionally empowered to investigate forgery or crime? The answer is No. Even though the matter is in court the committee hastily and hurriedly turned the report to the media in July 2018. This was also done when the house was on recess without even waiting for it to be tabled before the house.

“’It is a hatchet job done to witch-hunt, harass, intimidate, ridicule and scandalise me because I dared to investigate and expose assets hidden abroad by some powerful people in the national assembly.”