Apologises To Senate Over AGF’s Absence At Committee Meeting

Senior Special ‎Assistant to President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Solomon James Ita-Enang, declared on Friday that he had no instruction from President Muhammadu Buhari to appear in court to testify against Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and two others standing trial for allegedly forging the Senate Rules.
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He also apologised to the Senate for what he described as unfortunate impressions created by another Presidential aide regarding the absence of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, from a meeting on the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on Thursday.

However, Ita-Enang‎ has been listed as one of the 15 persons lined up to serve as prosecution witnesses in the forgery case. In the list of prosecution witnesses signed on behalf of the AGF by the Principal State Counsel, D. E. Kaswe, Ita-Enang’s name was second on the list.

As the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enang was expected to inform the court the procedure for amendment of Senate Standing Order.

At a press briefing on Friday at the National Assembly, Ita Enang denied insinuations that aides to President Buhari have been lined up to testify against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekwerenmadu, in a suit before an Abuja High Court.

He explained that the testimony he gave to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over claims that the Senate Standing Rules were forged in 2015 was done before he was appointed as an aide to Buhari.

He further denied claims that he gave further statements to the Police since he was appointed by the President in August, 2015.

Explaining how he became a witness in the alleged forgery case, he said, “That upon a written petition to the Police on the subject of alleged forgery of the Standing Orders by some Distinguished Senators of the 8th Senate, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) through one DIG Dan Azumi Doma wrote to the Clerk to the National Assembly vide his letter dated July 1, 2015, requesting him to ask the key officials of the 7th Senate to have an audience with the undersigned on or before 6th July, 2015.

“It was after my statement that the Police may have formed an opinion as to who did what, exonerating me, but rather listed me as a witness as to the procedure for amendment, having made a statement on the matter”.