A House of Representatives ad-hoc panel yesterday resolved to issue an arrest warrant against the chairman of Globacom Nigeria, Mike Adenuga, for failing to honour its invitations. The panel, which is investigating activities of telecommunications companies, said it had summoned Adenuga after making several attempts to have him appear before it were not successful.
The chairman of the committee, Rep Ahmed Abu (APC, Niger) said Adenuga’s action was an affront to the legislature, saying he ought to appear to clear issues related to financial obligations by his company. Abu said records before the panel showed that Globacom Nigeria owes the Federal Government over N16.7 billion.
He asked both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to go after the Glo chief for holding Nigeria’s money.
“A situation where the parliament will invite an agency or organization and then it won’t come, then we’re going nowhere. Some people feel they’re too big; that they’re above the law. I’m making reference to Mr Mike Adenuga, the chairman of Glo.
“The amount of disrespect he has for the parliament is unacceptable. Yes, he’s a billionaire, but that doesn’t mean anything. Anybody can be a billionaire in the right atmosphere,” he said.
A member of the panel, Abdulrahman Shuaibu (APC, Adamawa) moved that the panel should approach the House to issue an arrest warrant against Adenuga, which was supported by all members. Shuaibu said:
“We summoned him, but he failed to appear. I want to move that in view of that, we issue an arrest warrant against him for the IGP to produce him on February 15 by 12 noon.”
Abu ruled that:
“The committee hereby resolves that an arrest warrant be issued against the chairman of Globacom.”
The panel would have to approach Speaker Yakubu Dogara to sign the arrest warrant for it to be effected. Our correspondent later gathered that there was a mix up as a Glo representative that was delegated to attend the meeting went to the House standing committee on telecommunications instead of the ad-hoc committee.
When he later discovered that he was actually to appear before the ad-hoc panel, he rushed to the venue, but the meeting had ended. A Glo source told Daily Trust that they have appealed to the panel to reconsider its decision as the non-appearance before it yesterday was not deliberate.