The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating job racketeering in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) has summoned all the Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities to appear on Friday to give documentary evidence on the allegation of bribery and extortion by a member of the Ad-hoc Committee.
The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi issued Tuesday at the summon at the resumed investigative hearing on job racketeering across over 900 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), dismissed allegations of extortion of some MDAs.
Gagdi, who was rattled by a media report titled: ”Nigerian lawmakers probing job racketeering are extorting money from agencies”, insisting that the committee would not be deterred.
He pointed out that the author of the story who failed to use the word alleged, however went ahead to indict the 37 member committee.
The chairman was of the opinion that it was unfair to tag all the 37-members of the Ad-hoc Committee as ‘corrupt’.
His words: “Regarding what we are hearing and what we are seeing is first to tell Nigerians that this Committee is not going to be deterred in discharging its responsibility. Nigerians have hope in this Committee from. The way we are conducting the business of this Committee, everybody is seeing what we are doing.
“We will not compromise by hiding and aiding irregularities going on in the public service. No amount of statements accusing this Committee will deter us from doing our job.
“You may have your problem with a member of this Committee but don’t blackmail the entire Committee.
“I’m saying this because I am not being accused of doing anything, but you have issues that you want to make publication about a member of this Committee, sort it out with him, don’t put anything at the faces of members of this Committee.”
Gagdi maintained that the committee was determined to do justice to Nigerians in the course of the investigation.
He urged the media not to accuse members of the committee blindly.
He said the Ad-hoc Committee had no problem with the information the online platform had regarding one of the members or some of them.
Gagdi added: “From day one of this committee, I told them that we are going to be fought, we are going to be chastised, we are going to be witch-hunted even though we are going to do this job to the best of our ability.
“I do not look like someone that needs N2 million from the head of an agency, but the quarrel we have with you is the way the report came out, which does not look balanced and professional.”
The Chairman therefore directed the Clerk of the Ad-hoc Committee to write the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure that all the Vice Chancellors appear before the Ad-hoc Committee on Friday with a view to clarify the allegation.
He stated: “But in view of certain developments, I think the Clerk should summon the Vice Chancellors to appear through the National Universities Commission on Friday. We have to sit on Friday.
“Let the letter reach the Commission today, I want to personally sign the letter so that some of these things will be done in the character of the committee publicly for us to ask questions on what particularly the members of the Press will want to hear. Clerk, make sure you do that.”