Reps summon VP over suspension of NEMA senior staff

THE House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Management on Thursday summoned Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to appear before the committee to answer questions on the reasons behind the suspension of six senior officers of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Aside the VP, the committee also summoned the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, the Head of Service Federal Civil service of the Federation ( HoFCS), Winifred Oyo-Ita and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris.

However, the committee said that the vice president was at liberty to send a representative because of his tight schedule.

The chairman of the committee, Honourable Ali Isa handed down the ruling during an investigative hearing on the breach of public trust by NEMA.

The House committee also called for the recall of the six staff of NEMA saying the process of their suspension by the agency did not follow the Civil Service guidelines.

On the suspension of the senior NEMA staff, the NEMA boss, Mustapha Maihaji told the committee that “The governing Council of NEMA took the decision” and he acted on the decision of the governing council.

On the N5 billion Northeast intervention fund, the DG said no money of such amount was received by NEMA except N829m for logistics and security.

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He, however, confirmed that food items worth the said amount was received while N829 million was used for the movement of the materials to the region.

“I received items not money worth N5,036 billion and we were instructed to pick them from the stores. Some companies have not however delivered theirs like Golden Agric input Ltd.