Reps panel calls for arrest of Buhari’s aide over failure to honour its invitation

A house of representatives panel has called for the arrest of Okoi Obono-Obla, chairman of the special presidential investigation panel for the recovery of public properties.

The ad-hoc committee probing the legality of the panel demanded that he should be arrested during its sitting on Tuesday.

The committee was angered by Obono-Obla’s failure to honour their invitation to appear on three occasions since their sittings started.

Bode Ayorinde, a member of the panel, said Obono-Obla’s refusal is an attempt to frustrate the activities of the committee, and that members “would not allow that to happen”.

Ahman Pategi, chairman of the ad-hoc committee, decried the persistent failure of Obono-Obla to honor three of their earlier summons.

The panel also said it is investigating Obono-Obla, who is President Muhammadu Buhari’s special assistant on prosecution, over his certificate from the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

Pategi said in the course of its investigation, the committee received various petitions from the public against Obono-Obla regarding his entry qualification into the university.

“We wrote to the West African Examination Council and the University of Jos (where the presidential aide was said to have attended) to investigate the allegation,” he said.

Toby Okechukwu, another member of the committee pointed out that the name on the aide’s WAEC result reads “Ofem Okoi Ofem instead of Okoi Obono-Obla”.

The committee, therefore, queried the discrepancies in the two names and resolved to further probe the matter.

The committee also directed its clerk to ensure Obono-Obla is arrested and made to appear before it within seven days.