Section 23: Summoning of witnesses,etc.

(1) For the purposes of an inquiry under section 20 of this Act, the prescribed officer shall have power to-
(a) authorise any person, so far as may be necessary, to have access to the quarry or surface working and to remove anything from the place where the accident occurred and take such other measures as may be necessary for the conduct of the inquiry;
(b) summon witnesses, require witnesses to give evidence on oath or produce reports, books or other documents for the purposes of any examination, authorise payment of expenses of witnesses; and
(c) do or direct to be done such other things as he may deem necessary.
(2) For the purposes of this section, the prescribed officer holding an inquiry under this Act shall have the powers of a magistrate.
(3) All summonses shall be in Form F in the First Schedule to this Act and shall be served by the police or by such person as the officer issuing the same may direct.
(4) Any person summoned to attend or to produce books or documents, as aforesaid, and refusing or neglecting to do so, or refusing to answer any question put to him by or with the concurrence of the officer holding the inquiry, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of N200:
Provided that no person shall be bound to incriminate himself, and every witness shall, in respect of any evidence given by him at such inquiry, be entitled to the same privileges to which he would have been entitled if giving evidence before a court of law.
(5) Witnesses attending at the request of or upon summons by an officer holding such inquiry shall, subject to any order made by such officer, be entitled to the like expenses as if summoned to attend the court of a magistrate and payment shall be made in the same manner as if such person were a witness in a criminal trial.