By Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Compliance is currently working to ensure that at least seven agencies of the government get zero budgetary allocation in the 2017 budget for failing to implement resolutions emanating from the green chamber.
The agencies are Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) Federal Housing Authority (FHA), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Bank of Agriculture (BoA).
The committee, in a letter issued by its Chairman, Hon. Olasupo Abiodun (Oyo APC), to the leadership of the House and Chairman of relevant committees, accused the agencies of habitual and blatant disregard of resolutions.
Olasupo, in the letter, noted that NIMASA, FRSC, FHA, INEC, NHIS, BOA and NEPC, were directed by a House resolution to reinstate some disengaged staff who had sought the intervention of the House.
None of them complied with the resolution, the lawmaker said.
He explained that while FAAN claimed the resolution was being considered by management and BoA claimed to have reinstated only drivers and cleaners, NEPC did not even respond to any of the letters from the committee.
Olasupo added that a resolution asked BPE to pay Messrs Daniel Nwogbo and Partners the sum of $507,894.92 or its naira equivalent, but the agency did not comply. FRSC had also written to the committee, indicating that it cannot reverse the directives of the presidency by reinstating its sacked staff, while the NHIS said it received contradictory resolutions from the two chambers, the letter noted.
THISDAY gathered that the House Committee on Commerce had last week refused to hold the budget defence session for NEPC 2017 budget proposal over failure of the agency to comply with a resolution directing it to maintain status quo ante on a controversial staff promotion it conducted last year.
