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Reps Halt NRS Recruitment, Threaten Sanctions on Chairman Adedeji
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Nigerian News. Latest Nigeria News. Your online Nigerian Newspaper.
The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has ordered the immediate suspension of recruitment at the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), citing repeated disregard for legislative summons by its Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji.At a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the committee, chaired by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, condemned what it described as Adedeji’s “continued disregard for the constitutional authority of the National Assembly.” Lawmakers warned they may invoke Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, which empower the legislature to investigate corruption and compel testimony, if the NRS boss fails to comply.The committee noted that Adedeji had ignored seven previous letters requesting an updated nominal roll and his appearance before the House. It also criticised the Federal Character Commission (FCC) for granting recruitment waivers to the NRS despite explicit directives to refrain. FCC Chair Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran was absent from the meeting, citing illness, but lawmakers described her repeated failure to appear as “unacceptable.”Rep Wase stressed that oversight powers are binding, not optional: “No agency, commission, or public official is above the Constitution or beyond the reach of parliamentary oversight.”The dispute comes amid allegations that recent NRS appointments violated the Nigeria Revenue Service Act, which requires equitable representation of geopolitical zones. A pending court case filed by a youth organisation challenges the legality of several executive director appointments.The committee vowed to deploy all constitutional mechanisms to enforce compliance and safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic oversight system.