The Edo State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee constituted to investigate the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) and Radisson Blue Hotel has said that it was within its purview to issue arrest warrant on former Governor Godwin Obaseki for refusing to appear.

The Committee, it would be recalled, was constituted following the request by Governor Monday Okpebholo for the Assembly to probe the funding and ownership of the projects including the extent of the state government’s N3.8bn investment in MOWAA and N28bn in Radisson Blue Hotel.

The management of MOWAA had earlier declined to appear before the Committee.

Reacting to the malfeasance, the Committee said it had powers to ask the Police to bring any individual before it to answer questions.

Other persons, besides Obaseki, that were invited by the Committee were a former Edo Finance Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Eboigbe, former Attorney General of Edo State, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, Managing Director, Tilbury House Nigeria Limited, Mr. Pramod Thorat, Project Manager of Hospitality Investment and Management Company (HIMC) Mr. Ugochukwu Anigbogu, Managing Director, Afrinvest Capital Limited, Managing Director, Meristem Trustees Limited and Managing Director, Emerging Africa Trustees Ltd.

The Committee warned that those declining to appear before it could not claim they were refused right to fair hearing.

Chairman of the Committee, Addeh Isibor, who spoke at the resumed sitting of the Committee, said Obaseki and others sent letters through their lawyers stating reasons why they declined the Committee’s invitation.

He said Obaseki cited lawsuit filed in various courts against MOWAA as reasons for his absence.

Peeved at the action of Obaseki and others, Isibor said the Committee was on a fact finding and not to witch-hunt anybody, insisting that the Committee would submit its report based on facts.

According to him, “These gentlemen have unilaterally chosen to absent themselves that there exist court cases regarding our sitting or issues under consideration.

“We know position of the law. We are not dunces but cerebral people. We are constitutionally mandated to carry out investigation or hearing on any matter to which we have the power of appropriation.

“The mere filing of a suit in court cannot amount to stay of proceeding. They ran to court after we commenced the public hearing.

“No judge can stop our sitting. We will reach a decision on the matter. If you choose not to make yourself available, you cannot claim you were refused right to fair hearing.

“It is more offensive that none of the SANs attached court processes to the letters. They know they rushed to court at midnight. These are empty letters.

“They want to stop this Committee from getting to the root of the matter. We reject the letters as lacking in merit. Edo Assembly is not a party to the suit.

“The Committee has powers to ask the Police to bring those concerns here. We have no letter stopping the Committee from completing its assignment,” Isibor reiterated.

(Nigerian Tribune)