Hearing: Reps walk out Budget DG for sending unqualified officers

For sending an unqualified officer to speak on behalf of the Budget Office, the House of Representatives yester­day walkout out a level 12 officer from its investigative hearing or­ganised by the joint committees on Niger Delta and Public Pro­curement.

The hearing, it was gathered was aimed at eliciting informa­tion concerning procurement processes in the award of con­tracts by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as well as the Am­nesty programme -vis-à-vis the resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta region.

The officer, whose name could not be verified at the time of fil­ing this report was sent by the recently appointed DG Budget Office, Mr Akabueze.

Rejecting the appearance by the officer, the co-Chairman of the joint meeting, Hon Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun) who chairs the House committee on Pro­curement stated that; “even the Senior Legislative Aid (SLA) in my office is above level 12, and I can’t send him to represent me at any forum because he is not a lawmaker.”