ICPC probes alleged extortion by Reps investigating job racketeering in MDAs

• ‘We won’t accept apologies if allegations are false’

From Adanna Nnamani and Okwe Obi, Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has disclosed that it has opened an inquiry into allegations of extortion made against members of the house of representatives committee looking into employment racketeering in ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

Azuka Ogugua, the ICPC spokesperson, said this in a statement on Friday.

The statement read: “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced investigation into petitions received from Premium Times and Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Ad-Hoc Committee on the Investigation of Job Racketeering and Gross Mismanagement in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), over bribery allegations against the probe panel.”

Meanwhile the House of Representatives Committee probing job racketeering in Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), has said it would not accept an apology if findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences (ICPC), shows that members did not collect bribe from parastatals to shield them from interrogation.

The Committee Chairman, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, who stated this when some vice chancellors of federal universities appeared before the Committee yesterday in Abuja, vowed to take legal action against those tarnishing the image of lawmakers.

“Just like we want to write the wrongs in our civil service, we will write the wrongs that exist in our media reportage. Anybody that blackmails us, we will take it legally with him and we will exonerate ourselves in the court of law,” he said.