SAN FRANCISCO, January 19, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives has come up with a bill that could see officials of the Executive arm of government thrown into prison if they fail to honour a summon by the legislature.
The bill, which passed its second reading in the House on Thursday also recommended an alternative fine of up to N1 million for any official found guilty of contempt of the National Assembly.
Sunday Karim, who sponsored the bill, declared that the lawmakers were frustrated by frequent refusal of members of the Executive arm of government to honour invitations of investigative committees in both the Senate and the House.
He insisted that the bill seeks to bolster the provisions of the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act of 2004 which he said he been repeatedly desecrated by government officials especially Federal Ministers and Directors-General.
“This bill is meant to assist our oversight functions,” he declared.
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