The Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee investigating job racketeering in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) Mr Yusuf Gagdi has summoned all the Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities to appear before the committee on Friday to give documentary evidences on the allegation bothering on bribery and extortion by a member of the Ad-hoc Committee.
Mr Gagdi who issued the summon during the resumed investigative hearing on job racketeering across over 900 MDAs, dismissed allegation on the alleged extortion of some MDAs.
While describing the allegation as unfair to tag all the 37-members of the Ad-hoc Committee as ‘corrupt, the chairman maintained that the Ad-hoc Committee will not be deterred by any form of sponsored blackmail from carrying out its statutory functions.
Gagdi observed that if the author of the allegation and the Vice Chancellors have any information on any particular member, such report should be channeled towards the member rather than blackmailing all the members of the Ad-hoc Committee.
“Regarding to 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 statement 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.
“We are determined to do justice to Nigerians in the course of this investigation.
“My only appeal to the members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm the Press is that let us be credible Journalists. If you have anything to say about us be categorical. Don’t accuse my Members blindly. Tell us who is accusing who, instead of tagging this Committee as a corrupt Committee.
“It’s unacceptable to us, we are not and we will never be. Nigerians have hope in us and this will be the first in the history of the National Assembly that you will see a mind blowing recommendations that is aimed and targeted at cleaning our public service.
The committee chairman stated that since the beginning of their assignment, they were aware that they are going to be fought, chastised and witch-hunted in the course of the assignment.
To this end, he 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.
COV/IBRAHIM SHEHU
