Lawmakers to sanction MDAs For Failure to Attend Investigative hearing

The Chairman of the committee, Hon Yusuf Gagdi wondered why IPPIS and Budget Office refused to appear before it for the continuation of the hearing.

He subsequently directed the Accountant General of the Federation to bring along the IPPIS officer before the committee on August 10.

“Those invited must all appear before the Committee or face sanctions as provided by the law. The Committee would not tolerate agencies that belittle the powers of the Nigerian people by refusing to honour the invitation of the committee.

“The Committee is in a dilemma why the IPPIS is absconding from the sitting. The Desk Officers of IPPIS Head of Service and Budget Office, why are they absconding? We have interacted with the Accountant General of the Federation and demanded that the IPPIS should post two persons here.

“The IPPIS that are capturing, why was Kolo so comfortable to take people at will to the IPPIS office for capture.

He further ordered the Clerk of he House to “summon the Accountant General and the Director of the IPPIS to be here tomorrow at 10am. I don’t know why they are running away. Secondly, we are equally confused but we have a solution as to why would Kolo come here, he got a notice for 12 o’clock and one o’clock he is in this hall. Only for us to ask him to return yesterday and to ask him to be here today and he absconded.

“I will sign a letter officially to AMCON to produce Kolo tomorrow by 10 am. At least we have given the benefit of the doubt twice. I think it is better Kolo listen to us and appear here, unless he is acting a script to misguide this proceeding and send lies across the federation. Let him come. We are interacting. There is nobody here that was intimidated. We are to represent Nigerian people, the good, the bad and the ugly. We owe everyone the duty of care,” he said.

He noted that any further attempt by the officers to run away would be resisted.

Hon Gagdi also queried why the former IPPIS desk officer at Federal Character Commission,  Haruna Kolo, the prime suspect in the  job racketeering saga did not appear before the committee after he was asked to present himself.

“I also don’t know why Kolo is not coming back to appear before this committee, he seems to have absconded. I will sign a letter to AMCON to produce Kolo tomorrow. Kolo cannot come and tell us he collected money, linked it to personality and not willing to substantiate the claim.

“He has been accused of working in three different institutions. We would go to the root of this matter no matter how the agencies claim to be smart or run away, they must come here. We must account to the Nigerian people what we are doing in all the various institutions that positions of trust given to us. So AMCON should come. Kolo should appear tomorrow otherwise we would exercise our constitutional powers on Kolo and any other agencies that fail to appear before this committee from tomorrow,” he added.

Hon Gagdi also accused government agencies of committing fraud through waivers to bypass publicly advertising for employment.

“There is no agency in Nigeria that would exonerate itself of some of these defects of favouritism, nepotism and what have you. Waiver is a fraud pending our recommendation from the House of Representatives because agencies are hiding under waiver to recruit their family members, friends, those that give them money, to sell slots, etcetera.

“No agency has any reason not to advertise vacancies for recruitment. But every agency does not want to advertise. Why? You recruit 100, 200, 300, 900, 100, splitting it into three instalments without going to the public to tell Nigerians that they have vacancies and are inviting qualified Nigerians to apply for such things,” he argued. 

“So take it or leave it, agencies are hiding under waivers to perpetuate employment racketeering and other employment related fraud. That is our position. Because there is no agency that would appear here that would not give you a certificate of waiver. Most of the agencies would not bring even a one paged advert in any national daily for its recruitment. So it is a fraud,” Hon Gagdi added.

A member of the Committee, Hon Amobi Godwin Ogar also swid that government agencies were deliberately seeking waivers to corrupt the proper process of employment.

“From the report that you have submitted on the request for waiver, I noticed that not only your agency, but the majority of the agencies they use this waiver on advertisement to cause this employment racketeering.

“For me I think it is deliberate. So I want to ask your commission, why refusing to comply with the set up rule to advertise recruitment in respect for the right of applicants. This will promote maximum participation and provision of a wider scope for the selection of the best. Because when you keep requesting for a waiver on advertisement that means something is wrong somewhere and that is  the problem we are facing in this country.

“I think it has come to the time we should be doing things right, so that those that do not have people can be able to get jobs because through these waivers, you will do your personal arrangement and deprive good Nigerians the opportunity to get jobs,” he said.

Earlier, Yishau Gambo, the driver and Personal Assistant to the Federal Commissioner from Taraba State, Armayau Abubakar, told the committee that he and other people were given employment letter in 2023.

He admitted to working with Kolo to sell employment to people.

He said he had gotten his employment letter in 2023 but was yet to be captured.

He denied being part of those that were employed in 2022 as alleged by Kolo.

“Kolo met me and said I should talk to people that need employment so that he could talk to them. Then he called me to bring one person and I said there are many that have been talking to me and are willing to buy slots. After a month, Kolo called me that there is another slot worth N1.5 million”, Mr Gambo narrated.

The Committee directed him to bring the employment letter he was given the following day (Thursday).

The investigation continues on Thursday as witnesses and the affected MDAs have been ordered to appear before the committee.