The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Access Bank Limited, Mr Herbery Wigwe, should he fail to appear before its Committee on Education within 24 hours.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Hon Daniel Ogazi, issued the threat when the Zonal Head of Access Bank, Mr Alexius Ayabam, appeared before its committee today in Lafia.
Ogazi said that they have decided to invite the MD to explain why the bank is holding the state government money meant for payment of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) contracts.
‘We have invited you before and today the story is the same. There is no progress on what we have discussed before as you have refused to do the needful.
‘As non-payment of money to contractors that handled primary school projects is affecting them and the education sector negatively.
‘Look at now, some people have taken loans to execute their projects, interest is accumulating in their loans taken and the prices of building materials is increasing every day.
‘Secondly, why are you people still deducting interest on money not released to SUBEB for payment of the contract.
‘As representatives of our people, we will not fold our hands. Relevant laws have empowered us to investigate and intervene on any issue that will be in the interest of our people.
‘We have the power to invite anybody and Access Bank is within our jurisdiction and has business with Nasarawa State.
‘We are giving 24 hours to the MD/CEO to appear before our committee to explain to us on the issue at hand or we will use relevant laws to issue a warrant of arrest on him,’ he said.
Also speaking, the Zonal Head of Access Bank, Mr Alexius Ayabam, pleaded for understanding with the committee in order to solve the matter amicably.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK