House of Representatives on Thursday summoned Chairman of the Presidential panel of the recovery of public properties, Okoi Obono-Obla and members of the committee and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, to appear before it next week Tuesday.
Other invitees include the Office of the Vice President, Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (OSGF), Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSF), the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Auditor General of the Federation, representatives of the ministry of finance, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Budget Office of the Federation and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).
Aliyu Ahman-Pategi, Chairman of the House ad hoc committee investigating the modus operandi, the constitutionality or otherwise of the Special Presidential Investigative Panel, who issued the directive warned that the affected persons must appear in person.
At the commencement of the investigation, most of the heads of the affected ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) were either absent or sent representatives forcing the committee to postponed the probe.
Addressing representatives of the chairman of the presidential panel, Ahman-Pategi said “we will not take that arrogance here.
“Even if it means inviting President Muhammadu Buhari we will do it. And let me read section 88 of the constitution, which give us the powers to do what we are doing.
“We are worried about the level of ineptitude and incompetence exhibited by government appointees and functionaries.
“This should be the last time heads of MDAs are invited here and they fail to appear. If anybody fails to honour our invitation next Tuesday by 10a.m, we will wield the big stick”pategisaid
Consequently, the ad hoc committee had in a letter dated March 28, 2018 and referenced NASS/8HR/DCD/016180/001 requested the chairman of the panel to submit the list, curriculum vitae, and certificates of its members.
The committee also demanded for documents showing “the annual budgetary provisions for the panel since inception; list of investigations carried out from inception to date; list of all the seizures effected from inception till date, showing their location and names of persons from whom the seizures were made; details of bank account; and details of income and expenditure since inception”
While declaring the investigative hearing open, Speaker of the House Yakubu Dogara said that the legislature had the constitutional responsibility to ensure good governance, law and order in the country.
Represented by the Deputy Minority Whip Binta Maigari, Speaker Dogara observed that the imperatives of the fight against corruption and doing thing right in line with international best practices were necessary.
He added that the 1999 Constitution had vested the power of investigation of corruption on the National Assembly.
He expressed reservations on the constitution of the probe panel adding that the ad-hoc committee was not to witch hunt anybody rather to enthrone accountability and good governance.
Other members of the ad-hoc committee as Toby Okechukwu (Enugu-PDP) and Kingsley Chinda, frowned over what happening in many government agencies.
The lawmakers insisted that they won’t take any brief from a representative of the Chairman of the Presidential Panel and other invited government agencies at the hearing and threatened to invoke the provisions of Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution if the invitees shun the next sitting.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
