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Showdown in the House: Committee Issues Arrest Warrants Over Refusal to Testify.
The House Committee on Public Petitions made headlines last week with the unprecedented move of issuing warrants for the arrest of top government officials who failed to appear before the panel.
On December 5th, the committee approved a motion to demand the Inspector General of Police apprehend the CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, Accountant General Oluwa Toyin Madein, and 17 others for refusing to provide testimony regarding ongoing questions over fiscal oversight of the oil and gas sector.
The committee's action came after petitioner Fidelis Uzowanem presented claims from the NEITI report alleging years of concealed improper payments and fraudulent schemes within the industry dating back to 2016. He asserted over 27 trillion naira identified could resolve funding shortfalls for the upcoming national budget.
However, the central bank and finance ministry heads have so far declined to engage with the committee on these severe allegations. Citing their absence as obstruction of lawful process, Chairman Rep. Michael Irom ordered the executives be detained and brought in by December 14th to answer for their noncompliance.
As the standoff escalates between the legislative branch's watchdog role and defiance from the nation's top monetary and fiscal leadership, many are watching with bated breath to see if the contentious warrants will actually be carried out. The high-stakes power struggle threatens systemic stability if not resolved through open communication and cooperation between the parties. Stay tuned for further updates from the capital.