The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating job racketeering in Ministeries, Departments and Agencies has dismissed allegation of extortion of some MDAs by the committee, describing it as baseless.

Reacting to the allegation, the committee summoned all Vice-Chancellors of federal universities to appear before it on September 1, 2023, to give documentary evidence on the alleged extortion by a member of the committee.

The chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, issued the summon during the resumed investigative hearing on job racketeering affecting over 400 MDAs in Abuja on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

Gagdi said the author of the online report titled, ‘Nigerian lawmakers probing job racketeering are extorting money from agencies’, was unfair to tag all the 37-members of the committee as “corrupt”.

He said the committee would not be deterred by any form of “sponsored blackmail” from carrying out its statutory functions.

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The lawmaker said though he is the leader of the committee, he was unaware of any member collecting money from MDAs.

Gagdi stated that if the author and the Vice-Chancellors have any information on any member, such report should be channeled towards the member rather than blackmailing all the members of the committee.

He said it would be difficult for such report to blackmail the committee before Nigerians, adding that they have seen how the committee has been attacking the agencies.

Gagdi said the author of the story who failed to use the word “alleged”, however, went ahead to indict the 37-member committee, adding that such will not happen even in a military regime.

The lawmaker stressed that Nigerians have high hope in the committee, adding that this will be the first in the history of the National Assembly that the country will see mind-blowing recommendations.

Gagdi said the recommendations would be aimed and targeted at cleaning up public service, reassuring that the committee will not be deterred.

“But don’t bring an indicting headline in the name of selling your newspaper or agency. Please I’m saying this – we will move forward, and we will do the needful, we are not going to surrender,” Gagdi added.

He, therefore, directed the Clerk of the ad hoc committee to write the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure that all the VCs appear before the committee on Friday to clarify the allegation.

The Star