Presidential adviser Enang apologises to senate over AGF row

Ita Enang, senior special assistant to the president on legislative matters (senate), has apologised to the senate over the comments of the representative of the attorney-general of the federation at a meeting with the committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters.

Tendering the apology while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on Friday, Enang said it was wrong for Okoi Obono-Obla, representative of the attorney-general, to have said that the senate had no right to have invited Abubakar Malami, attorney-general.

Enang was a member of the senate in the seventh assembly.

“I heard the statements after and I want to apologise to the distinguished senate, to the committee on judiciary and to the distinguished senators,” he said.

“That statement ought not to have been made: the attorney-general is attorney-general of the federation, appointed by Mr President, cleared by the senate and responsible to the federation.

“We are going into this matter, we will handle this matter but I first have to tender my unreserved apology for the impression it may have created to the distinguished senate, senators and the committee members.”

On Tuesday, the senate summoned Malami to appear before its committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters to explain why he charged Senate President Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, his deputy, to court for alleged forgery.

The AGF was represented by Obono-Obla, special assistant to the president on prosecution attached to the federal ministry of justice.

The committee then walked Obono-Obla out of the chamber, saying: “Our invitation is for the AGF and not you. So, we cannot listen to you. We will report back to the plenary for us to take decision on this.”

Obono-Obla, who spoke to journalists while leaving the senate chamber, said the alleged forgery suit against Saraki and Ekweremadu, is not an internal affair of the senate.

“The senate had no right to invite the AGF… the AGF is not answerable to the senate,” he had said.

But Enang said the issue would be resolved, explaining that Malami was unavoidably absent.

“The attorney-general spoke with me yesterday on the matter in the morning that he is on official assignment on behalf of the country,” he said.

“When he is in, we will make arrangement for him to respond appropriately: we want to apologise pending when he is back to respond appropriately.”