Nigeria’s House of Representatives-in-session unveiled plans to investigate various conditions of service governing the tenure of public officers including political appointees, civil servants and chief executives of extra-ministerial departments, parastatals, bodies, agencies and other institutions of government.
The investigation which is to be conducted by an Ad-hoc Committee will also beam its searchlight into public owned companies and corporations under the control of the Executive, Legislature and Judicial arms of the federal government of Nigeria.
According to the resolution, the Ad-hoc Committee shall further inquire into the operational costs of running the federal government of Nigeria, by whatever name including security votes, running costs, service wide votes, imprests, contingencies, etc, in compliance with Sections 88(1a & b) and 2(a & b) and 89(1a-d) and 2 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
The committee which is to be set up at the next legislative day, is to be guided by the constitutional powers exercisable by the National Assembly under sections 88(2b) to expose corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it.
The outcome of this holistic investigation, according to the House, should serve the purpose of identifying illegalities, excesses or infractions of the law in any departments or levels of government if any, and for the purpose of guiding the public debate on this subject matter which for now remains a monologue and one-sided in the absence of fair hearing extended to all relevant arms of government, the National Assembly inclusive.”
The lawmakers also resolved that the report of the inquiry be documented and made readily accessible to interested publics in furtherance of access to public records as provided for in the Freedom of Information Act, 2012.
In his lead debate, Muhammad Soba, explained that the proposed inquiry became necessary in response to the public outcry about the operational costs of running the National Assembly as the legislative arm of government.
“This type of rancour has always trailed each session of the National Assembly (post-proclamation) although it is largely informed by assumptions, ignorance, misinformation and alternative facts inspired by various motives, elements and groups, some of whom are politically opposed to the institution of the National Assembly as an arm of government.
“The searchlight for transparency regarding the conditions of service of public officers is often not beamed on the Executive and Judicial arms of government and to that extent, a selective targeting of the National Assembly by the promoters of this type of campaign and therefore unhelpful in the search for truth and justice in this matter,” Soba noted.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
