WELCOME ADDRESS BY HON. PRINCESS MIRIAM ONUOHA, AT THE INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON THE ARBITRARY BREACH OF PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVES ON THE SUSPENSION OF TOP MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMEBERS OF NIGERIA SOCIAL INSURANCE TRUST FUND (NSITF) AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES BY MINISTERS. HELD ON MONDAY 20TH JULY, 2020.
Hon Speaker,
My Colleagues and members of Ad-hoc committee
Invited guests
Gentlemen of the press
I want to start by thanking Mr. Speaker for finding me worthy to chair this important committee.
It is my pleasure to welcome you all on behalf of the Ad-hoc Committee.
You may recall that, the House of Representatives at Plenary on Tuesday 7th July, 2020 deliberated on the above motion of Urgent Public Importance and resolved to: “Set up an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate:
- The Procedural Breach of the Presidential Directives by both the Ministers of Labour and Employment, and Power,
- The Alleged Breach in Procurement Procedures and Financial Malpractices and Malfeasance by those Agencies and report back within one (1) week.
The House considered the allegations to be of serious nature, very weighty, grave and worthy of the attention and concern generated at Public discuss.
Therefore, the matter before us today is the case of the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment who was alleged to unilaterally without due process prescribed in the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund NSITF Act, procured Presidential Directive, to suspend the Top Management of the Nigeria social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), over alleged infractions of the Public Procurement Act and Financial Regulations by the Top Management of the NSITF.
The other is the case of the Hon. Minister of Power who was also alleged to have unlawfully carried out a similar action against the Chief Executives of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) respectively.
Our Committee began work immediately and reached out to all concerned in the matter with a call for memoranda.
About 95% of all actors involved have made their written submissions; I must commend your prompt response to our letters.
Without preempting the outcome of this investigative Hearing, the committee wishes to extend to all the parties the benefit of the principle of fair hearing.
I wish to remind us that this committee is not a witch hunt on anybody but part of our Legislative duties. Please note that we will be just and fair to all concerned in this matter.
Lastly, I must commend the solidarity of members of my committee and I pray we all end well the way we have started this important task.
Thank you all.