The House of Representatives Committee on Rural Development has issued a stern warning to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Temitope Fashedemi, threatening to invoke the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended if she fails to honor their invitation. This follows Fashedemi's repeated failure to appear before the committee on five different occasions, sparking frustration among committee members.
Committee Chairman Marcus Onubun expressed disappointment over the Permanent Secretary's consistent absence, accusing her of undermining the House's oversight function. He emphasized that the committee's role is to scrutinize the ministry's activities to ensure accountability and effective service delivery to Nigerians.
Despite the committee's displeasure, they decided to grant Fashedemi another opportunity to appear before them, citing respect for the two ministers in the Ministry who are former members of the National Assembly. The committee stressed that their mandate is derived from the Speaker of the House and represents the interests of over 200 million Nigerians.
Hon. Chinedu Ogah recounted how committee members had previously visited the ministry, only to find the Permanent Secretary absent. He reminded the ministry officials that their duty is to comply with the constitutional oversight role of the House, urging them to respect the committee's authority.
However, tensions escalated during the meeting when a director in the ministry, Engr. Frank Satumari Kudla, claimed that he was representing the Permanent Secretary based on her instructions. This claim further infuriated the committee members, who felt the ministry was disrespecting their authority.
The committee has set a deadline for the Permanent Secretary to appear before them on Tuesday, May 21, warning of consequences if she chooses to ignore the invitation.
