Reps bow to pressure, step down motion on admittance of President, security chiefs into chambers

Facts emerged on Wednesday that President Muhammadu Buhari has shelved the scheduled meeting with members of the National Assembly on the state of security in the country.

Contrary to the conventional legislative practice, the motion titled: ‘Admittance into the Chamber’ slated on the Order Paper which should have been sponsored by Hon Garba Alhassan Ado, to suspend relevant House rules, was not entertained by the Speaker.

The motion provides that: “That the House, pursuant to Order 19, Rule 8 (1) and (2) of the Standing Orders, do admit into the Chambers, the Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Service Chiefs and other dignitaries for the purpose of receiving an address by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the security situation in the country.”

The resolution was reached at a marathon meeting held on Tuesday night which lasted till about 12 midnight at Conference Room 028 New Building of the House of Representatives.

Some of the governors seen at the meeting which commenced some minutes after 9 pm include Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, as well as the former FCT Minister of State, Senator James John Udoedehe.

One of the principal officers in the House of Representatives, who spoke under condition of anonymity via phone, confirmed that the President’s change of mind may not be unconnected to an alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus to embarrass him.

According to the lawmaker, the decision was to avoid any form of embarrassment from the members of the lead opposition party, PDP.

Efforts by Tribune Online to reach the chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, proved abortive as he declined to pick calls and later cut the calls, over four hours before filing this report. He also refused to respond to questions sent to him via SMS.

In a swift response to the unilateral decision of the House leadership to suspend the motion, some PDP members who spoke with Tribune Online denied knowledge of the President’s decision not to honour the invitation.

On his part, the immediate past chairman, House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Hon Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, who expressed concern over the turn of event, observed that there was no justification for the President’s decision to explore the platform provided by the invitation to inform Nigerians on the state of security.

“It was the House of Representatives of Nigeria that invited the President of Nigeria. It was not a summon, it was an invitation to bring us to speed on the security mater I Nigeria, now that security is now topical and almost urgent.

“If he thinks to look at it legally, he may say you cannot summon because you can’t discipline. But one thing to look at is the security importance. He’s the commander in chief of all armed forces and the invitation is to tell us if there any trouble in the security architecture. So that we will know exactly what is the issue happening.

“Saying he’s not going to come now, is he that he felt slighted or cannot address Nigerians as to the state of security?”

On the role played by the governors to stall Mr President’s appearance, he argued that: “We heard that the governors prevailed on him not to come, and it is very easy to understand why the governors said so because if he honours the invitation, the State Assemblies will ask the governors to come, which is the proper thing. But because the relationship is master-servant!

“Which is the proper thing – they should go and tell the state assemblies but with us, most parliaments in Nigeria run master-servant relationship, in that context how can a servant order his master to come to render account?

“So if we are running an independent parliament, if we are running a collaboration, if we are running a partnership, if we are running a symbiotic, balanced organisation where every component is independent, then the governors will not have reason to fear that State Assemblies will follow suit and begin to invite them, they will not.

“And if you are a governor you owe the governed the duty to explain.”

While reacting to the suspension of the motion to admit the President and the Security Chiefs by fiat without any explanation, Hon. Nkem-Abonta maintained that “No, it is very parliamentary to suspend the rules to admit somebody; otherwise by the rules they cannot access the House. The question is there is nothing wrong admitting service chiefs to come if you have asked them to come; then you will extend the courtesy then you will now be able to say they can come.

“But the motion specifically invited Mr President. It does not include the service chiefs. It was not an alternative. So is Mr President delegating them or declining the invitation?”

(Tribune Online)