By Joshua Egbodo
Abuja
House of Representatives has mandated its committee on National Security and Intelligence to investigate the presidential committee set up to probe arms procurement contracts awarded in the past by office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
This was fallout of a motion under matters of urgent public importance by Hon. Chris Azibogu, who said the committee set up by the President Muhammadu Buhari on August 31, 2015 had failed to submit its report, months after the deadline contained in it terms of duty.
He said: “A similar committee was set up by the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) on October19, 2015, with a similar mandate and has covered more number of companies and submitted its report on February 26, 2016.
“The committee was able to verify more than 300 companies as indicated in the submitted report on January 26, 2016,” he noted, observing that the committee’s activities contradicted with the federal government’s circular which stipulated 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 parastatal, agencies and commission” of October 9, 2015 and October 23, 2015.”
Urging for strict adherence on payment for hotel accommodation for such members and the committee based on the circular should only sit four times in a year, he added that the committee was accommodated at the expense of government without any results to show for it.
Recall that Buhari set up the 13-member committee, to investigate the $2.1 billion arms deals involving the former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).
