There was a mild drama at the public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, on Tuesday when members engaged in hot arguments with Mr. Festus Keyamo, the lawyer of the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, on the panel’s right to invite his client in his private capacity.

Keyamo, however, kicked against the ruling of the Chairman of the senate committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and insisted that the senators erred by extending invitation to Lamorde after his exit from the anti-graft agency.

He insisted that the senators lacked powers to invite his client to testify because he was no longer the chairman of the anti-graft agency stressing that he could only be invited now as a witness.

Before the altercation, the panel chairman had explained that the senate does not accept representation whenever it invited anybody to appear before it but that the person so invited, if he or she so wishes, could come with his lawyers.

A member of the committee, Senator Dino  Melaye said, the senate would make sure by all legal means possible, protect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and insisted that no Nigerian was above the law.

He said, “We have invited the former chairman of EFCC on several occasions. First was on the 26th of August, 2015. We have sent several others since then, inviting him. To my dismay,  he is not here again this afternoon and this is not a court of law where a lawyer can go and defend his client.

“By convention and practice, once you get the summons of the National Assembly, it is imperative, mandatory and obligatory that you must appear. This is contained in Section 89 of the constitution.”

He said the senate would have invoked its constitutional powers  by summoning Lamorde but for the fact that he was represented by Festus Keyamo, a respected lawyer.

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