By Adedapo Adesanya
The House of Representatives has expressed its anger over the failure of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, as well as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, to honour invitations extended to them.
The senior officials of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari were asked to appear before an investigative hearing on an alleged high level of corruption on nominal rolls of Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government.
The matter is being looked into by the Committees on Anti-Corruption and Public Service Matters, but it was alleged that the Finance Minister and the SGF have failed to show up.
This has not gone down well with the lower chamber of the National Assembly, which on Tuesday summoned the duo, threatening to take further action if this continues.
The Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Anti-Corruption, Mr Dachung Bagos, while expressing the anger of the parliament over the issue, also summoned the Head of the Service of the Federation, Mrs Folashade Yemi-Esan; the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris; and the Auditor General for the Federation, Mr Adolphus Aghughu.
Others are the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr Bolaji Owasanoye, and the Chief Executive Officer, Federal Character Commission, Mr Muheeba Dankaka.
Failure to heed legislative calls is not an uncommon practice in Nigeria as last September, one of the members of the House of Reps, Mr Tajudeen Adefisoye, ranted on Twitter that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, failed to honour invitations to him to explain to Nigerians his different policies, including the exchange rate regime.
Modupe Gbadeyanka