NASS c’mitte angry over agric ministry PS’ repeated snobs, gives last warning

The House of Representatives Committee on Rural Development has threatened to invoke the provision of the 1999 Constitution as amended to compel the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Temitope Fashedemi, to appear before it to answer questions on the activities of the rural development section of the Ministry.

Chairman of the Committee, Marcus Onubun (PDP, Edo), who spoke at the meeting between the committee and the Ministry, expressed displeasure that the Permanent Secretary had on five occasions failed to honour invitations from the committee.

Members of the Committee frowned at the attitude of the Permanent Secretary and the Ministry, accusing them of undermining the House and the provisions of the Constitution which empower the House to oversight all agencies of government.

Onubun said the Committee has decided to give the Permanent Secretary another opportunity to appear before it as a mark of respect for the two ministers in the Ministry who are products of the National Assembly.

Minister of Agriculture and food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari from Borno State and Minister of State, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi from Niger state served in the 9th National Assembly.

He said, “This is about the fifth meeting we have had in this committee on Rural development and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has refused to appear.

“I would like to correct one notion because the Director said he is not here to answer query. This Committee is constitutional bound to query every of your activities in terms of projects and policies of your ministry. If you don’t know, you must understand now that it is our responsibility.

“Members seating here represents over 200 million Nigerians. We put all our activities aside to have on the spot assessment of the ministry and we came to you because we wanted to work with you so that Nigerians will get the dividends of democracy through rural development. The Permanent Secretary was not at that meeting.

“But it appears that for some reasons best known to you, you have chosen to frustrate the efforts of this committee. We have the mandate of the House through the Speaker to carry out the exercise we are carrying out. “I will yield to the request of my colleagues that since we have two Ministers who are products of this National Assembly, we may not use the big stick at this point. We will course another invitation for the attention of the Minister to release the Permanent Secretary to appear on our next scheduled date.