The Senate has summoned the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, Peer Lubasch, over the company’s refusal to honour invitations to provide details on the Odukpani-Itu Highway project.
The Odukpani-Itu Highway is located in Cross River State and Akwa Ibom states. It connects the town of Odukpani in Cross River State to Itu in Akwa Ibom State, serving as a critical link for transportation and economic activities in the South-South region.
According to a motion sponsored by Senator Osita Ngwu, Julius Berger has neglected and refused to honour invitations to provide details of their role in the project, despite receiving substantial public funds amounting to over N18 billion.
Ngwu raised the alarm about “discrepancies in performance among contractors on these projects, with specific reference to Julius Berger for failing to meet target.”
He pointed out that the National Assembly was empowered by Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) “to conduct investigations and summon any person or organisation responsible for administering public funds.”
He also referenced Section 6(1) of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, “which empowers the Senate to issue warrants of arrest for persons in contempt of its proceedings.”
He called the Senate’s attention to the alleged “termination of Julius Berger’s contract for the Odukpani-Itu Highway project due to demobilisation and refusal to accept contract review terms, despite their initial contract value of N54,172,541,180.03 and subsequent request for an upward review to N195bn.”
He, therefore, urged the Senate to “invoke the constitutional powers of the National Assembly as provided in Section 89(1)(c) and (d) of the 1999 Constitution to issue a warrant of arrest to compel the attendance of the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc at the rescheduled investigative hearing.”
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stated that the specific date for the MD’s appearance before the Committee on Works would be outlined in the arrest warrant.
The motion sparked debate among senators regarding the best approach to address Julius Berger’s non-compliance.
Senators Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), and Joel Onowakpo Thomas (APC, Delta) advocated for immediate issuance of the arrest warrant by the Senate President.
Senators Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North), and Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North) suggested that the matter be resolved at the committee level to avoid unnecessary escalation.
Despite the division, the Senate resolved to issue the warrant of arrest, underscoring its commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in the administration of public funds.
The Senate has condemned the refusal of Julius Berger and other entities to honour lawful invitations, which constitutes contempt of the National Assembly and undermines constitutional authority.
Furthermore, the Senate invoked its constitutional powers to issue a warrant of arrest to compel the attendance of the Managing Director of Julius Berger at the rescheduled investigative hearing.
