The Edo State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee, constituted to investigate the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) and Radisson Hotel, yesterday, threatened to issue an arrest warrant on former governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, for refusing to appear before it.
The committee was constituted following a request by Governor Monday Okpebholo to probe funding and ownership of the projects, including the extent of the state government’s N3.8 billion investment in MOWAA and N28 billion in Radisson Hotel.
The committee said it has the power to ask the police to bring any individual before it to answer questions.
Other persons, besides Obaseki, that were invited by the committee were a former Edo Finance Commissioner, Joseph Eboigbe; former Attorney General of Edo State, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi; Managing Director, Tilbury House Nigeria Limited, Pramod Thorat; Project Manager of Hospitality Investment and Management Company (HIMC), Ugochukwu Anigbogu; Managing Director, Afrinvest Capital Limited, Managing Director, Meristem Trustees Limited and Managing Director, Emerging Africa Trustees Ltd.
The committee said that those declining to appear before it could not claim they were refused the right to fair hearing.
Chairman of the committee, Addeh Isibor, who spoke at the resumed sitting of the committee, said Obaseki and others sent letters through their lawyers stating reasons why they declined the committee’s invitation.
He said Obaseki cited lawsuit filed in various courts against MOWAA as reasons for his absence.
But peeved at the action of Obaseki and others, Isibor said the committee was on a fact-finding and not to witch-hunt anybody.
He insisted that the committee would submit its report based on fact.
According to him, “These gentlemen have unilaterally chosen to absent themselves that there exist court cases regarding our sitting or issues under consideration.
“We know the position of the law. We are not dunces but cerebral people. We are constitutionally mandated to carry out an investigation or hearing on any matter to which we have the power of appropriation.
“The mere filing of a suit in court cannot amount to a stay of proceedings. They ran to court after we commenced the public hearing.
“No judge can stop our sitting. We will reach a decision on the matter. If you choose not to make yourself available, you cannot claim you were refused the right to a fair hearing.”
