The House of Representatives has expressed disappointment with Thursday’s absence of relevant heads of MDAs, as its ad hoc committee investigating alleged repetition of capital projects in budgets since 2015 to date.
Expressing the position of the House, its majority leader, Hon. Alhassan Doguwa, who represented Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, to declare the event open, has directed the committee to deploy all legislative and constitutional instruments at its disposal to compel appearance.
Out of several agencies expected at Thursday’s session, only the National Universities Commission (NUC), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were represented.
“Let me make this observation; the committee of this nature which has the full mandate of the House to carry out this function, I am concerned over the low turnout of officials of the relevant MDAs. I had expected to see minimum; permanent secretaries and procurement officials fully on ground,” he stated.
He said, “we have a self-imposed duty to fight corruption under this government”, and so government officials should be seen to be working in line with the direction of the regime.
He directed the committee to communicate the grievances of the leadership, and advised that they comply as the House will not take any such act of laxity with kid gloves.
Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Hon. Abubakar Yaleman, in his remarks earlier said the aim is to check incessant fraud by MDAs and to restore accountability to the yearly Appropriation Act.
