Job Racketeering: Reps Absolves Committee Of Extortion Allegations

The leadership of the House of Representatives has absolved the Ad-hoc Committee on job racketeering of alleged extortion of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) under probe.

House spokesman /chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Akin Rotimi made the position of the leadership known in a statement released in Abuja, yesterday.

Akin said the House has no reason to doubt the integrity of the leadership and members of the Ad-hoc Committee, who were carefully selected based on their respective professional pedigrees, competence, and character, to carry out the important national assignment.

The statement reads: “Premium Times publication of Tuesday, August 29, 2023, titled: ‘INVESTIGATION: Nigerian lawmakers probing job racketeering are extorting money from agencies’, has been brought to the attention of the leadership of the House of Representatives.

“In the referenced report, it was alleged that some members were involved in extorting some government entities, with a view to compromising the mandate of the committee. The House leadership considers these allegations grave and deserving of an appropriate response.

“The Ad-Hoc Committee on the Need to Investigate Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs); Parastatals and Tertiary Institutions on Mismanagement of Personnel Recruitment, Employment Racketeering, and Gross Mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), was empaneled by the House leadership in line with Sections 62 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on July 19, 2023.

“We would like to state clearly that we have no reason to doubt the integrity of the leadership and members of the referenced committee, who were carefully selected based on their respective professional pedigrees, competence, and character, to carry out this important national assignment.

“The public is invited to take cognisance of the fact that following the very serious revelations that have emerged from the work of the referenced committee, which have been well publicised and televised, it would not be strange for them to face unwarranted attacks on their integrity, individually and collectively, as a means of distracting them.

“We, however, invite members of the public and any of the affected government entities with evidence related to the allegations to approach the House for necessary action.

“We wish to reiterate that Members of the House of Representatives will not be distracted from carrying out our mandate as enshrined in Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which gives the National Assembly powers to expose corruption for the good governance of Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the Committee for the second time, summoned the Accountant General of the Federation to appear before it on Thursday to explain the delays in remitting deductions from workers’ salaries to the Federal Mortgage Bank.

The Central Bank of Nigeria is also to appear on Thursday before the Committee for the investigative hearing.

The Committee had last Thursday

summoned the Accountant General of the Federation, Dr Oluwatoyin Madein, to appear before it to explain why deductions from workers’ salaries for housing scheme were not remitted to the NHF.

The Accountant General was to also state why there were disparities in the deductions from workers from various agencies of government and why only N20 billion has been remitted to the Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN) since 2011.