N300m health scam: ‘Senate can no longer intervene over Iyabo’

Obasanjo-Bello had not been in the chambers for the past six weeks and had gone to court to ask that her name be struck out of the list of those being tried for the offence by EFCC, including sacked minister of health, Adenike Grange and minister of state, Gabriel Aduku.

Chairman, senate committee on information and media, Ayogu Eze, while briefing newsmen after senate adjourned sitting abruptly to attend the Commonwealth parliamentary meeting in Abuja said the matter was beyond senate.

He said: "It is not possible that the senate at this point in time can account for Iyabo Obasanjo. We cannot account for her because, the last time we told you that once the matter is in court, it is beyond the senate. Now that the matter has been charged to court, it is beyond the senate.

"The senate cannot interfere at this point in time until she finishes in court. It was only about a week ago that the EFCC was able to get a court approval to put her name on the charge sheet. At that point, the matter gets out of any comment.

"We cannot comment because it is subjudice. But I can tell you it is now beyond the senate," Eze said. He, however, explained that attendance at sittings of the senate is voluntary saying "every member is subject to the rules in the law of Nigeria that a senator is expected to do a minimum of 181 days in a year and it is also mandatory to do more than one third of that 181 days to qualify to continue to be in the chamber."

Eze further explained that if a senator is absent for considerable number of times "an interested party or member of the constituency of the senator concerned notifies the National Assembly leadership or the senate that well, so and so person has been absent from the senate for so and so period and I think that constitutionally his or her membership of the National Assembly has lapsed.

"If the records of her attendance are checked and the person has not attained the constitutional period required for his or her membership to continue, there is no other procedure required except to write to INEC. The senate president is expected to write INEC to say that so and so person has not met the constitutional requirement therefore conduct election to fill the vacancy.

"That is what the law says. That is why I say it is voluntary." On the probe of the transportation sector, Eze said processes to facilitate the take off of the probe are on, noting that "the meeting with the ministers of transportation has taken place and we have also been able to reach out to other stakeholders in the financial sector, the finance ministry and the CBN."

He disclosed that "so far, we have been getting enough materials to assist us to perform that assignment and we know that the probe on FCT is still on-going and is going on very well".

According to him "many have asked me why is it that the National Assembly is currently embarked on a lot of probes and my answer to them is that the philosophy was that those who are in positions of authority should know that whatever happens they will be held accountable for their activities." And if you know that you will be exposed or called to answer questions later, of course, you will be guided in whatever you do to follow the due process and to follow the rule of law.

"So, basically that is what the National Assembly is trying to do. No more, no less".