The House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition, Food and Security has threatened to issue warrant of arrest on agencies over their absence at the on-going investigation into the Anchor Borrowers Scheme and other policies of the federal government Agriculture Programmes.
The Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Chike Okafor and some other lawmakers who expressed dismay over the absence of key invited agencies in the agriculture sector at the National Assembly, said no mercy will show to those who disobeyed the committee.
Dr. Okafor listed some of the agencies that were invited and did not honour the House Committee’s invitation as, Bank of Industry BOI, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, National Agricultural Land Development Authority, National Agricultural Seed Council and NISARL Micro-Finance Bank.
The House Committee Chairman had in an opening remarks said the investigation was not a which hunt rather it is to uncover the truth, identify systemic failures and to ensure that funds budgeted for food security was used for the purpose it was meant.
According to him, “the investigation is to find out If truly these huge funds budgeted for food production are utilized in a judicious manner in other to ensure food security in the country”.
The Committee chairman stated that outside the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry who wrote to the Committee to be excused from the investigation as he travelled outside the country, other agencies that did not honour the House Committee’s invitation must appear before the probe panel.
