Connect with us

Business

Abandoned projects: Emefiele, NDDC shun panel

Published

on

Emefiele was accused of conferring corrupt advantage on his wife

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Nelson Braimbraifa, as well as his directors were absent   as  the House of Representatives  began probe of abandoned projects in Niger Delta  in Abuja on Tuesday.

The House Committee on NDDC, who frowned upon the development,   therefore ordered  Braimbraifa  and his directors to appear  before them on Friday. However, they asked Emefiele to appear on Monday.

The panel  threatened to order their  arrest if they failed to invitations.

A member of the committee, Buba Yusuf, raised a point of order to call the attention of the panel to the fact that the stakeholders critical to the investigation were not at the event.

Advertisement

Yusuf cited Section 89(1) of the Constitution, saying, “I have observed that the very relevant stakeholders that are supposed to be here for the success of this public hearing are not here. The  NDDC is a major stakeholder in this investigation and I am sure we have written  to them twice and there was no response.

“We all know that Section 89 of the Constitution has empowered this committee to summon anybody, no matter how highly placed, to come before us to give evidence.”

The Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, was represented by the Director, Federation Account, Sabo Mohammed, while the Auditor General of the Federation, Anthony Ayine, was represented by the Director of Audit, Julius Isiuku.

The chairman of the panel, Nicholas Ossai  said   their  first letter  was received by the NDDC on August 14, with a reminder sent on August 23 when there was no response from the commission to the first letter.

Advertisement

He said, “Up till now, there is no response from them and it shows that they are above the law. But our constitution does not allow that.”

Ossai also read a letter by the  Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to the committee in which the ministry sought   permission  to appear before  the committee at a later date.

However, the chairman  said, “You will recall that recently the  ministers (Godwin Akpabio and Festus Keyamo) gave  instructions to the NDDC on a national daily. So, I find it very difficult to believe that they have not been interacting with the commission. It is strange for such a letter to have come.

“The NDDC is not above the National Assembly or the management of the NDDC. I believe that Yusuf Buba is in the right direction.”

Advertisement

The House  unanimously agreed to summon Emefiele and Braimbraifa.

READ:Committee summons CBN governor, NDDC over abandoned projects

Ossai said, “My ruling is that this honourable committee, in line with Sections 62, 88 and 89(1)(a)(b) and (c) of the Constitution that empower this committee to investigate the abandoned projects in the NDDC and to procure all necessary instruments to arrive at a reasonable conclusion, also summons the CBN Governor to appear before this  committee on Monday next week.”

Meanwhile, a  former Minister of Housing, Chief Nduese Essien, on Tuesday, faulted the  governors  opposing  the constitution of  the NDDC board.

Advertisement

Essien, who is also a former member of the House of Representatives, made his position known in a statement.

Essien,  who was part of the team that drafted the NDDC Act, said the claims and counter claims on the distribution of key posts in the agency were unnecessary, saying the government did the right thing.

He said  under the law establishing the commission, the post of the chairman was to rotate among the nine-member states.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 ChronicleNG

Discover more from Chronicle.ng

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading