The Senate, Wednesday, accused the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, of gross indifference in the anti-corruption war over his lack of collaboration with the National Assembly on relevant laws for prosecution of offenders.
The Senate Joint Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Anti Corruption and Financial Crimes took a swipe at the AGF during a public hearing on some bills directly affecting the responsibilities of the nation’s chief law officer.
The bills, Proceeds of Crimes Bill 2017 and Nigerian Assets Management (establishment etc) bill 2017, are thought to be critical to strengthening the anti- corruption war.
The Committee was peeved to learn that despite a prior notice and invitation, the AGF failed to attend the hearing and only sent a representative, Anthony Odu Abah, citing other pressing official engagements.
His absence was not helped by Abah who informed the shocked committee that the Office of the AGF had no written memorandum on its position on the two bills but that rather, an executive bill proposing a combination of the bills would soon be forwarded to the legislators.
The submission angered the committee chairman, Senator David Umaru who spared no words in upbraiding the AGF’s representative.
“This is unacceptable to us. One, you have no written memorandum on your position on the bills. Two, your principal, the AGF who was recently reported in the media to have castigated the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly for allegedly sitting on anti-corruption bills sent by the executive is not here and three, your submission is neither here nor there as regards support for or oppose to, on the bills.
“What is expected from the office of the Attorney-General on these bills are clearly written positions saying yes or no and not verbal proposition or information on another bill. This is not right and not expected from the AGF,” he said.
The committee’s umbrage came to a head when it learnt that Abah was a Chief State Counsel in the legal drafting department of the Ministry of Justice and not even an Assistant Director not to talk of a Director.
Senator Isa Misau, who had asked the question that gave away Abah’s designation, insisted the representative was not officially qualified for such representation and lacked the needed capacity. He called for the action of the AGF to be strongly condemned.
According to the Senator, “this attitude of the AGF to this committee and by extension to the Senate, is nothing but apparent disdain which must not be overlooked but handled very seriously since this senate is on the same page with President Muhammadu Buhari on the war against corruption.”
