The House of Representatives has suspended all investigations, public hearings, and Committee meetings as well as other legislative activities till the resumption of the National Assembly from annual recess in September.
Both Chambers of the National Assembly had embarked on annual recess which began on July 23 and they are to resume on September 15.
During the ongoing vacation, the House of Representatives through its various standing and ad hoc Committees has been holding investigations, public hearings, and other legislative activities.
But a letter from the House Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa dated 19th August 2020 and addressed to all Committees ordered a suspension of all activities, pending resumption.
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The letter titled: “Notice of suspension of activities, meetings, public hearings and all engagements of the standing and ad hoc committees” with reference number NASS9HR/OLDR/ADM/Vol. 1. 0031″ sighted by journalists on Thursday directed the Clerk to the House to ensure compliance.
The letter read in parts: “The leadership of the House of Representatives has recently met and resolved that henceforth all activities of standing and ad hoc Committees be put on hold while the House is on its annual recess.
“Accordingly, all standing and ad hoc Committees are hereby directed to suspend with immediate effect all Committee meetings, public hearings, and other engagements until the House resumes its annual recess”.
The letter however did not state any reason for the directive to suspend all Committee activities.
With this development, the investigation into the $500 billion loans obtained by the Federal Government from China for railway projects and similar ones would suffer delay.
The House Committee on Treaties, Agreements, and Protocols which is probing the existing bilateral loan agreements between Nigeria and the Chinese Export-Import Bank and other loans sourced from China amounting to $500 to finance the Lagos-Ibadan rail line and other projects had adjourned sitting to next Tuesday.
The Ossai Nicholas led- Committee on Wednesday summoned the Ministers of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and that of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, to appear before it next Tuesday and make clarifications on the Chinese loans.
Similarly, the House Committee on Finance is interacting with Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the 2021-2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper ( (MTEF/FSP) and is investigating N300 billion unremitted revenue to the federation account by MDAs.
Also, the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee led by Wole Oke has been investigating MDAs over queries raised by the Account General of the Federation.
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