Parliament

Job racketeering: Reps threaten to invoke constitutional power on IPPIS, AMCON

The House of Representatives has threatened to invoke its constitutional power on IPPIS, Budget Office, and the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) over their failure to appear before it.

The threat was made by the chairman of the ad hoc committee investigating job racketeering and mismanagement of IPPIS in MDAs, Yusuf Gagdi, in Abuja on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.

Gagdi said the committee was in a dilemma why IPPIS and budget office were not present at the meeting.

The committee subsiquently summoned the Accountant-General of the Federation to bring along the IPPIS officer before the committee on August 10, adding that any further attempt to run away would be resisted.

He also queried why Haruna Kolo, the prime suspect in FCC job racketeering saga, did not appear before the committee after he was asked to present himself on Wednesday (today).

The lawmaker said: “I also don’t know why Kolo is not coming back to appear before this committee, he seems to have absconded. I will sign a letter to AMCON to produce Kolo on Thursday.

“It is better he listen to us unless he is acting a script and selling lies to us, he should come so we can interact with him. We owe everybody the duty of care.

“We need him by 10 a.m. tomorrow, the Clerk of the committee should call AMCON on phone, tell them to produce Kolo or do they know what Kolo is hiding.

“AMCON must come here; we must be accountable to Nigeria.”

Gagdi stated that Kolo should appear the lawmakers on Thursday or the committee would exercise its constitutional power, adding that he is an official of AMCON and unless if he wants to loss his job and miss his freedom.

“Kolo cannot come and tell us he collected money, linked it to personality, and not willing to substantiate the claim. He has been accused of working in three different institutions,” the lawmaker added.

Meanwhile, a witness in the ongoing investigation on job racketeering, Abdulrman Ibrahim, has faulted claimed by some commissioners in FCC that they had not been given any slot since they were appointed.

Ibrahim, a beneficiary of the job racketeering and the Personal Assistant to commissioner, representing Taraba, said “all the commissioners were given slots”.

“They were given two slot each per state. There was an interview to that effect and other processes followed in 2023. A letter of employment was given to me after the interview,” he added.

Also speaking, the driver to the commissioner, representing Taraba, Yisha’u Gambo, said he collected N2 million for Kolo, which was paid by a job seekers.

Gambo said: “Kolo met me and said I should talk to people that need employment so that he could talk to them.

“Then he called me to bring one person and I said there are many that have been talking to him that they are willing to buy slot.

“After a month, Kolo called me that there is another slot which N1.5 million.”

The investigation continues tomorrow as witnesses and the affected MDAs have been ordered to appear before the committee.

The Star