ENUGU ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE: WE WON’T ALLOW MDAs EXTORT ENUGU RESIDENTS, FROWNS AT REFUSAL OF ONOH & NNAM TO APPEAR BEFORE IT

REPOTER: CHIDINMA UJOH & CHRISTIAN NWANGENE

A special committee set up by the Enugu State House of Assembly to investigate illegal extortion says it will submit its report despite the refusal of some invited government officials to appear before it.

The House Committee Chairman on Communication, Mr. Jeff Mba, stated this on Tuesday in Enugu while briefing journalists on the outcome of the Committee’s meeting at the Assembly Complex.

Mr. Mba said the Committee had no choice but to submit their report, including their observations as well as challenges encountered in the course of the investigation.

According to Mr. Mba, the report will also guide and enable the seventh assembly take decision on how to harmonise multiple taxation of Enugu residents, to put an end to the illegal extortion in the metropolis.

“Part of the constitutional process is to send the report to the floor of Enugu State House of Assembly for consideration.

“And in doing so, we are going to mention all the problems we encountered and the House will decide as a committee of whole on the next action to take,” the lawmaker said.

On the refusal of the Chairman, Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), Mr. Josef Onoh, and the Commissioner for Land, Mr. Victor Nnam, to appear before the Committee, the house spokesman hinted that the House would take decision on that.

“We are not going to begin to engage individuals who probably have excuse for not appearing to offer their own help to this Committee,” he added.

Earlier, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr. Uche Ugwu, expressed dismay at the refusal of Mr. Onoh and Mr. Nnam to appear before it to assist the Committee in its investigation, describing it as a total disregard to the state’s legislative arm of the government.

The Deputy Speaker, who dismissed representatives of the ECTDA, stressed that the assembly would not interface with them as they were not competent to either answer or provide information needed by the lawmakers.

Mr. Ugwu noted that they, as the representatives of the people, would not sit and allow their constituents to be extorted by government ministry, department or agency under the guise of generating revenue for Enugu State.