Joint Committees of Information Technology Communication, ICT and Telecommunications in the House of Representatives on Tuesday queried Adebayo Shittu, minister of Communications over a comment he made on the suspension of Peter Jack, director – general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) over an alleged misconduct.

The minister who appeared before the joint committees, claimed that, “I do not know the reason why I am before this committee, I am blank about this meeting”.

He further appealed that he had an international conference to attend begging to take his leave.

Breaching further rules and conventional practice of the parliament, Mr. Shittu who said he had been a lawmaker himself at the Oyo State House of Assembly from 1979 to 1983 went ahead to state his confusion about the setting as he had no information whatsoever why he has invited when he was only asked to introduce himself.

This his was even after Mohammed Onawo, chairman of the Joint Committee, had hinted that the essence of the meeting was to look into an alleged injustice done to the DG of NITDA.

Onawo explained that the clerk of the committee had written a detailed letter to the minister which was the reason for his appearance before the committee.

But apart from feigning ignorance over the invitation, the minister went further to ask the Committee to allow him take his leave to enable him attend an international conference taking place at the same time the Committee meeting was scheduled.

This infuriated the committee members who took time one after the other to lambast the minister.

Members of the committee- Wole Oke, Tajudeen Yusuf and others speaking separately expressed displeasure at the minister’s statement saying, “for him to say that he doesn’t know why he is here is an insult to the National Assembly.

“Now Mr. Minister knows why he is here, Mr. Chairman may give him another opportunity to re express himself.

“We will not be part of anything that will undermine the National Assembly,” they said.

The Minister thereafter retracted his earlier statement saying, “I want you to forgive me if there is a misconception.”

The meeting at that point went into a closed door session as journalists were excused.

It would be recalled that last week, House of Representatives had faulted the Minister over the suspension of Mr. Jack over an alleged misconduct.

http://www.nigeriacommunicationsweek.com.ng/news/angry-reps-minister-clash-over-suspension-of-nitda-dg

cc: Seun lalasticlala

And someone will soon blame PGEJ for this...
God bless #Hitback2back

Ok