The House of Representatives has mandated its
committee on National Security and Intelligence to
investigate a committee set up by the Presidency and
Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) on arms
procurement.
The resolution followed a motion under matter of
urgent public importance by Rep. Chris Azibogu (PDP-
Anambra), which was unanimously adopted by
members through a voice vote.
Moving the motion, the legislator said that the
committee, set up by the Presidency on Aug. 31, 2015,
had failed to submit its report months after the
deadline for its assignment.
“A similar committee was set up by NSA on Oct. 19,
2015 with a similar mandate and has covered more
number of companies and submitted its report on Feb.
26, 2016.
“The committee was able to verify more than 300
companies as indicated in the submitted report on
Jan. 26, 2016,’’ he said.
He said the committee’s activities contradicted the
Federal Government’s circular which stipulates the
remuneration of non-executive committees.
The circular is titled “adherence on the guidelines on
remuneration of non-executive and part-time chairmen,
members and directors of governing boards of Federal
Government parastatals, agencies and commissions’’
of Oct. 9, 2015 and Oct. 23, 2015.
Azibogu urged “strict adherence on payment for hotel
accommodation for such members and the committee
based on the circular’’.
He expressed dismay that the committee was
accommodated at the expense of government without
any results to show for it.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 13-
member committee was set up on Aug.
31, 2015 to
investigate the 2.1 billion dollars arms deals involving
the former NSA, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki. (NAN)
