BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

ABUJA – Justice Suleiman Belgore of an Abuja High Court sitting at Apo, yesterday, ordered the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Abubakar Salisu Maikasuwa, and his House of Representatives’ counterpart, Mr Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, to appear before him today to explain alleged roles they played in the N40 billion loan saga that trailed the 6th session of the Lower House.

Their summon was at the behest of counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Festus Keyamo, who told the trial court that top management officers of the National Assembly, who hitherto conceded to appear in court to testify against the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, and his erstwhile deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada, suddenly declined to do so.

Keyamo, who maintained that their hesitance might be connected with pressure he said was being mounted on them by “some powerful interests”, contended that unless the court invoked its powers and summoned them, they might finally renege in fulfilling their initial commitment to stand as witnesses in the case.

Consequently, the trial judge ordered that in view of the fact that the names of the said National Assembly officials were ab-initio forwarded to the court by EFCC, alongside their statements, they were duty-bound to appear and discharge the responsibility.

The judge said the summon was issued based on the complaint by prosecution that the witnesses will not voluntarily appear, stressing that “it appears to me that by the proof of evidence that you are likely to give material evidence therein on behalf of the complainant and will not voluntarily appear for that purpose.”

Also summoned to appear before the trial court is the Director of Finance of the National Assembly, Mr. Bukoye Lasisi.

Meanwhile, at the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, an official of the Revenue, Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission, Mr. Samuel Naziga, a deputy director in the Allocation unit of RMAFAC, revealed that the package approved for the speaker and other members of the House did not follow due process, adding that his organisation did not know anything regarding any running cost for the lawmakers.

Two witnesses, Adeniyi Adebayo and Ibrahim Ahmed, had earlier narrated how the accused persons approved the increment and took a loan of N40 billion from two banks to fund the increment.

Besides, the witnesses said Dimeji and Nafada diverted the excess accruing from the loan into their personal accounts.

One of the prosecution witnesses, Ibrahim Ahmed, an EFCC investigating officer, told the court that United Bank for Africa, UBA, and First Bank were the two banks that funded the illegal increment.