The ad hoc House committee investigating the use of green funds given to the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) on Tuesday banned journalists from covering its session.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee, chaired by Rep. Ismaila Dabo on August 31, accused the agency of spending N81. 2 billion to plant 21 million trees in 11 states.
NAGGW CEO Yusuf Bukar was expected to respond to the committee’s claim during Tuesday’s session.
However, the secretary of the committee, Edem Bassey, ordered the journalists who came to cover the hearing to leave the room.
Bassey said the committee chair had directed that the investigative hearing not be for media coverage.
“The first session that you covered, I wrote you a letter, and as far as I know, this committee did not write any letters requesting other coverage. So that addresses the problem.
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“You know how we work in this place, I’m supposed to tell you or the president that it hasn’t been done and why it wasn’t done, I wasn’t told to do it,” he added.
According to him, the commission has the right to regulate its session just like the Chamber does, adding that for now “we don’t need media coverage.”
(YAYA)