Stories by Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has invited for the last time, four Medical Directors, MDs, of university teaching hospitals and three chief executive officers of Ministries Departments and Agencies, MDAs, of the federal government to appear before it unfailingly or face severe sanctions.
The Chairman of the panel, Idris Wase issued the directive yesterday during the investigative hearing of the committee probing the exclusion of federal character principles in recruitment among government agencies and institutions as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).
The lawmaker lamented that the medical directors of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Itukku/Ozalla, University of Benin Teaching Hospital Benin City, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile Ife and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria had repeatedly ignored the committee’s several invitations on the issue.
According to the panel, the chief executive officers of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Displaced Persons, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, have also refused to honour the invitation of the House panel on the probe.
The committee had earlier issued invitation to the affected institutions, but it was not obeyed. This time it gave last warning to the medical directors and heads of agencies to appear and clear the allegations against them on staff recruitment.
Meanwhile, members of the panel have threatened that in the event that they fail to appear, they won’t fail to invoke their powers through the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to compel their appearance with appropriate sanctions by the House.
