Kehinde Akintola
The scheduled fact-finding hearing initiated by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the redesigned currencies and cash swap policy was stalled sequel to the absence of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed.
The Director of Currency Operations at the CBN was also absent from the meeting.
However, the Ad-hoc Committee reportedly met with the Managing Director of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) Limited Plc, Mr Ahmed Halilu.
As shown on its website, NSMPC ownership and capital structure shows that the Federal Government of Nigeria owns majority shares of 89.59 per cent; the Bureau of Public Enterprises owns 9.62 per cent while De La Rue (UK) owns 0.96 per cent.
Mr Halilu who was appointed in September 2022 was invited by the Ad-hoc Committee chaired by Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa as part of an ongoing fact-finding hearing into the scarcity of newly redesigned currencies and cash swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Our Correspondent however gathered that the NSMPC Managing Director met with Hon. Ado-Doguwa and some members of the Ad-hoc Committee behind closed doors.
According to one of the lawmakers who does not want his name in print, the Minister and other stakeholders invited by the Ad-hoc Committee were unable to attend the hearing because of the Council of State meeting held at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He however noted that the meeting has been rescheduled for Monday.
Recall that Hon. Ado-Doguwa had after the meeting with the representative of National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Abubakar Mustapha who is in charge of election security, held on Thursday, threatened that the Committee will not hesitate to invoke relevant sections of the Constitution to compel the appearance of anyone who undermines the summons of the House.
He said: “the simple message to Nigerians especially heads of these agencies is that this Committee has to be taken very seriously. As long as members of the House will forgo their immediate political interest at home while the campaign is going on, 17 days to the election, members are here discussing Nigeria and our future, and the future of our economy, I do not see any reason why anybody no matter how high or how highly placed he may be that for any reason will undermine the duties of this Committee.
“We expect everybody to appear in the interest of the people, in the interest of the institution he represents. Like I’ve always said, it’s not an Investigative Committee. It is a fact-finding mandate no more no less. We are doing this in the overriding public interest.
“The Committee will not take to take it lightly with any agencies or heads of agencies who have to undermine the summons of this Committee tomorrow between 10 and 11 am. The National Electoral Commission has also been served, so we expect the Chairman to make an appearance.
“It’s a clear-cut statement, nobody will be taken for granted here and we will not take anyone lightly when anybody appears to undermine the summons of hr Parliament or the House of Representatives in this case,” Hon. Ado-Doguwa noted.
