Job Racketeering: House Committee Issues Warrant of Arrest on AMCON Employee

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating employment racketeering in agencies and parastatals of the federal government has issued a warrant of arrest on a staff  member of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Haruna Kolo.

The chairman of the committee, Hon Yusuf Gagdi, issued a warrant of arrest at the resumed hearing  yesterday  following the refusal of Kolo to appear.

Kolo, a former staff member  of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) had appeared before the committee on Monday over allegations that he was involved in selling slots for employment in collusion with the Chairman of the commission, Muheeba Dankaka.

Kolo  had admitted to collecting money for employment on behalf of the FCC Chairman.

While giving his testimony, he expressed fear for his safety as he said the FCC chairman should be held responsible if anything happens to him.

However, after his appearance on Monday, Kolo failed to honour the invitation of the committee to appear in subsequent hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also, AMCON failed to turn up for the probe despite invitations to them.

Against this background, the chairman of the  committee said a warrant of arrest would be issued against Kolo,  saying if he does not show up for the probe, he would be brought in by the security agencies.

The committee chairman also decried  government agencies for avoiding the probe, adding that  there would be sanctions henceforth for any agency that fails to honour the invitation of the committee.

He said: “We have made our position very clear and we have resolved to further communicate through newspaper communications today and tomorrow for these agencies to make sure they have cause appearance before this committee.

“And we are going to make our position very public in various dailies and televisions stations beginning from tomorrow giving agencies the last warning that they should appear before this committee on Monday unfailingly from Monday to Friday. All our witnesses that we have equally asked them to be here are going to appear before us on Monday and Tuesday in continuation to this hearing.

“Yesterday (Wednesday) we asked Haruna Kolo to be here and some other personalities. Are they here? They are not. I think agencies would begin to see the other side of this committee from Monday by the special grace of God.

“We are going to rewrite, we are to make newspaper publications, we are going to make television announcements, so that we see if they do not watch TV or they do not read newspapers, if they claim that letters from this committee have not reached them. We should do just that and give them the benefit of the doubt.

“We are people’s representatives. So we would not be in a hurry to take any decision. For Haruna Kolo, the position of this committee is that he would lose his freedom. We will issue a warrant of arrest in respect of Haruna Kolo and compel security agencies to present him before this committee at any given period if he is so arrested.

“So this committee would communicate officially to the various security agencies and to AMCON in addition to communication that we have sent to them yesterday for Haruna Kolo to be presented here unfailingly by either the security agencies or by AMCON themselves. And the committee to approve that warrant of arrest would be issued in respect of Haruna Kolo.”

The chairman adjourned the hearing to Monday as government agencies expected failed to show up.