The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating the legality and modus operandi of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) has slammed the Okoi Obono-Obla-led panel discribing it as not only “illegal” but also “unnecessary.”
The committee also declared the mode of operations of the panel, which it said “infringes on the principle of separation of powers” and “worrisome to Nigerians.”
The committee, chaired by Aliyu Ahman Pategi (APC, Kwara) took the position during a public hearing. The hearing was however, shunned by Mr Obono-Obla and other members of SPIP.
Pategi said the committee’s position was informed by inadequacy of extant laws establishing the panel, its confrontational mode of operations and the fact that there were government agencies, such as Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) already saddled with the responsibilities of the panel.
“Special Presidential Investigation Panel has its origin from Decree No. 3 of 1984 under the Special Provisions Act for the Recovery of Public Property. The Legislature has no knowledge of its creation, operations and source of revenue. This makes the panel illegal,” Pategi said.
A member of the committee, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) said a situation where the panel goes about requesting public servants to declare assets, which they have already done with the Code of Conduct Beureau (CCB), amounts to double jeopardy.
“How can you write to public servants, including Judges, to declare their assets that they have already done?” he queried.