Reps summon government agencies over recession

Seek Christian courts for FCT, states

Peeved by their alleged aloofness to the prevailing economic downturn in the country, the House of Representatives has summoned the managements of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs).

Consequently, the Chukwuemeka Anohu-led Ad-hoc Committee yesterday summoned the leadership of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

Also to appear before the panel are the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND) and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) among others.

Speaking at the inauguration of the committee in Abuja, the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun, charged it to examine the activities of the DFIs and identify the bottlenecks impeding effective discharge of their mandates so as to strengthen for the task at hand.

The panel chair, Anohu, said the probe was aimed at repositioning them to play their indispensable roles in national development.

Meanwhile, the chamber has sought the establishment of Christian courts in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In a bill aimed at setting up the courts to be known as ecclesiastical courts, Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau) said for the facilities to come into existence, 14 provisions in the 1999 Constitution must be amended.

If passed, Gyang said: “The courts would complement the regular courts in adjudicating in matters relating to the tenets of the Christian faith between individuals and groups that yield and submit to its jurisdiction.”

The proposal provides for the functions, jurisdiction, qualifications, appointments and tenure of office for the judicial officers to man the courts.