Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Former Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), Ambassodor Babagana Kingibe, yesterday, forced the House of Representatives Committee on National Intelligence and Public Safety into an executive session.
The committee is probing alleged disappearance of $202 million from the coffers of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the circumstances surrounding the appointment of the new Director General of the agency, Mr. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar.
The former SGF, who chaired the Presidential Review Panel on the NIA, was at the House to honour a summons by the committee, with respect to funds allegedly missing in the security agency.
On arrival at the venue of the investigative hearing, Kingibe was approached by a staff of the committee, who asked the former and members of his entourage to take their seats.
But, the former SGF pointed at television cameras and declared: “No, I won’t sit down. What is all these? Do you people want to make a show of us”?
The official urged him to see the committee chairman, Aminu Sani Jaji who was already seated with other members of the committee. Again Kingibe declined.
“No! I won’t go there, you tell him to come,” said Kingibe.
At the point, Jaji left his seat to meet the former SGF and both men stepped out of the Hearing Room.
When they returned few minutes later, the chairman requested journalists to leave the hearing room so that the committee could have a closed-door session with Kingibe and his team.
At the end of the executive session, the former SGF and his team hurriedly left the venue.