By FEMI OGUNSHOLA

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating job racketeering, Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in MDAs has expressed disappointment over the failure of the Chairman, Federal Character Commission to appear before it.

Rep Yusuf Gagdi, the Chairman of the ad hoc committee, said in Abuja on Tuesday during the investigative hearing that the probe panel would not tolerate any heads of MDAs that refused to attend the panel.

He said, “I do not think this committee will conduct any investigative hearing unless with the leave of the members, if the heads of the MDAs concern does not appear in person.”

He said the committee would not compromise its stand, adding that the National Assembly and particularly the House of Reps required the committee to do a thorough job.

“We are not going to compromise this, we will do what the national assembly requires us to do. I urged agencies not to see any members asking questions as a witch hunt exercise,” he said.

Gagdi said for those who wrote letter, stating reason for their inability to appear before the committee, the lawmaker said the letter would only be acceptable by the leave of the house.

He said any attempt for any heads of MDAs to fail in honouring their invitation would be resisted, adding that no other officers would be admitted to represent such head of MDAs except their Account officers.

According to him, for those that wrote letter and stated ill-health as reason for not appearing before the panel, this will only be consider with the leave of the House.

He said the committee would be willing to interface with them, adding that any deputy directors or permanent secretary would not be allowed, “unless they are accounting officers.”

He said the committee would not tolerate any complaint or a letter, adding that all the committee needed was the heads of those agencies to appear in person at the panel.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the heads of MDAs that shunned the committee were; the Accountant General for the Federation, Auditor General for the Federation.

Others include: Chairman, Federal Character Commission, the Head of Service of the Federation, Federal Civil Service Commission.

Meanwhile, the representative of the Federal Character Commission brought a letter before the committee stating that she could not attend the probe panel because of a medical appointment with a Doctor.

However, Ahmed Amshi, the Chairman, National Assembly Service Commission was on ground to answer questions from the panel.

Gagdi commended him for showing up, adding that, because the chairman of the commission work in the system, he has a lot of regard for Nigerians. (NAN)

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