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The contract award scandal in the House of Representatives took a different turn on Monday when a member of the House, Emmanuel Deeyah, petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the matter.
The petition is dated October 29. It might not, however, lead to instant arrest of those involved.
The ICPC Act requires that the commission must first receive a petition on any issue under its jurisdiction before embarking on investigation, arrest and or prosecution.
Deeyah is asking the ICPC to conduct a thorough investigation into the scandalous contract award which, he says, has dented the integrity of the House.
The petitioner, from Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency of Rivers State, was elected into the House in 2003. He had earlier served as a commissioner in state.
A stamped copy of the petition made available to Daily Independent showed that it was received at the ICPC on the same day.
The petition reads: "As you my (sic) have read on the pages of newspapers and watched several times on television, the House has been embroiled in a crisis which has not allowed it to discharge its functions and responsibilities to Nigerian tax payers; an Honourable member even lost his life.
"At the centre of this is Madam Speaker€šinsistence to preside over the debate of the report of a committee set up to investigate allegations of wrong doing preferred against her. This to my mind is against the law of natural justice.
"Just yesterday, I read in the papers, the Punch precisely, that a few Honourable members have taken some other members to court on this same matter. I am worried. This is another dimension and total distraction.
"I am therefore using this opportunity to kindly request you to use your good offices to investigate this matter, coming from another organ of government so that this entire episode can be laid to rest. The world is watching.
"I will further request that whoever is found culpable at the end is made to face the law. I attach herewith a copy of the ad hoc committee report to serve as a guide. "I shall be most grateful if immediate attention is given to this request in order to move the House of Representatives forward and to a large extent the nation."
ICPC Director of Operations, Tunde Ogunsakin, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that the petition was yet to be forwarded to his office for action.
"If something like that comes to our office, it will go first to the chairman€šoffice and thereafter, the chairman would forward it to my office for action," he said.
Asked if those involved in the scandal would face instant arrest, he said they would first be investigated before further actions are taken.
There would be no instant arrest but instant investigation. The speed of investigation would determine the speed of arrest," he explained.
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