Reps begin checks into immigration documents of Chinese in Nigeria; probe alleged illegal sack of NSITF, MBET, TCN managements

 
The House of Representatives has started investigations into the immigration documents of Chinese immigrants living in Nigeria.
The investigation, which began on July 20 in Abuja, is being conducted by the joint House Committees on Interior, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring and Commerce.
Speaker Femi Gbajabimila recalled that in April, photos and videos which went viral on the social media allegedly depicted institutionalised racial discrimination and maltreatment of Nigerians in China.
He said it also showed xenophobic assaults, embarrassments, illegal detentions and forceful evictions of Nigerians and other Africans living in Guangzhou, China.
 Gbajabiamila said that he summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Zhou Pingjian precisely on April, 10 to register Nigeria’s displeasure with the incident.
“Subsequently, the House of Representatives on Tuesday, April 28, issued a strong worded House Resolutions, condemned, in its entirety, the maltreatment, discrimination and xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in the Peoples Republic of China.
“Apart from urging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to provide financial and other assistances to affected Nigerian citizens in China, the house took a two-pronged approach by constituting two joint committees to undertake two specific assignments towards remedying the ugly situation,”he said.
The speaker said that the house also mandated the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Inter-Parliamentary Relations, Human Rights, and Diaspora to ascertain the extent of violation of rights of Nigerians in China.
He said that the committees were also to determined as well as losses arising from such maltreatments, and to further engage the Chinese Parliament appropriately to register Nigeria’s National Assembly condemnation of the maltreatment.
Gbajabiamila said that the house also mandated committees to investigate the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, and any other relevant ministry, department or agency to check the validity of all immigration documents of every Chinese person in Nigeria.
According to him, the committee is to look into the expatriate quota of all the Chinese immigrants in Nigeria, and to repatriate them to China to regularise.
“I therefore implore all the relevant stakeholders to assist the joint committee in discharging the mandate entrusted to it.
“The joint committee is imbued with legal and statutory powers to conduct this hearing as stipulated in the Standing Orders of the House, Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017 and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“The powers include right to order attendance of witnesses, issuance and service of summons to attend and power to issue warrants to compel attendance.
“We are all partners in progress and I trust that the joint committee will be fair in the conduct of its assignment,”he said.
Meanwhile, the House has begun investigations into the alleged illegal removal of managements of three federal agencies by the Minister of Labour, Mr Chris Ngige and the Minister of Power, Mr Sale Mamman.
The affected agencies are Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)
 
The investigation which began on Monday in Abuja was organised by an ad hoc committee of the house chaired by Rep. Miriam Onuoha (APC-Imo)
 
Onuoha recalled that the house had on July, 17 deliberated a motion of urgent public importance and resolved to investigate the alleged procedural breach by the ministers.
 
She said that the house resolved to investigate the alleged breach of procurement procedures and financial malpractice and malfeasance in the agencies and report back in one week.
 
“Our Committee began work immediately and reached out to all concerned in the matter with a call for memoranda.
 
“About 95 per cent of all actors involved have made their written submissions; I must commend your prompt response to our letters.
 
“Without preempting the outcome of this investigative hearing, the committee wishes to extend to all the parties the benefit of the principle of fair hearing.
 
“I wish to remind us that this committee is not out to witch-hunt anybody, but play our legislative duties; please note that we will be just and fair to all concerned in this matter,”she said.
 
The hearing continues on July 21 enable all affected parties speak on document already presented to the committee, including the ministers.