The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Disposal of Public Property has frowned at the Director General, NIMASA, Bashir Jamoh, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), Mallam Mohammed Bello Koko, along with the Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs Service, (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, for failure to honour its invitations; and summoned them to appear before it
unfailingly on Monday being 11Sept 2023 by 10am.
The Chairman of the Commitee, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, who issued the summons, also threatened to invoke relevant section of the law against any agency who may want to take parliament for granted.
The Ad-hoc Committee, which was inaugurated last week by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, is investigating the illegal auctioning of
government properties by various ministries as well as agencies.
Hon. Ihonvbere further said “NIMASA and NPA seem to have a notorious tendency not to respond to invitations from the parliament”, adding that “the Nigeria Customs had a tendency not to honour our invitations in the 9th Assembly.
“But this Assembly will not allow that. I advise the CG of Customs to get in touch with the clerk of the committee and get a date to appear and give us the required documents and information.”
According to the chairman of the probe panel, “the Ministry of Water Resources- there is no representative from the ministry here. It is a very bad way to start with an administration that is out to change the course of things and improve the lot of Nigerians. I will advise the Permanent Secretary to get in touch wit the clerk of this committee and get a new date”.
The probe panel had earlier rejected the presentation from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) which was represented by the liaison officer, Mr. Pascal Nnolie as well as that of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority represented by the managing director, Engr. Babalola Olatunji.
Dismissing the submission from NRC, Ihonvbere said: “The documents before me are that of 2015 and 2016 earlier submitted to the committee on public accounts of the House.
“With due respect to your MD, this is an insult to this committee and the parliament. You can’t give us documents of 2016 to work with here. The committee is rejecting this presentation-take them back to your MD and let him show respect to the committee and re-present it in 48 hours”
The panel also queried some agencies present stressing that their report does not follow the outline in the letter addressed to them. We will step down this report and allow you to go and do a thorough job and send a fresh report within 48 hours”, he directed.
Meanwhile, the committee has also commended the managing director of the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, Engr. Mohammed Adara over what they call good presentation and orderly arrangement of documents.
