• As House insist all security heads must appear in person
By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives Sectoral debate schedule to hold yesterday Thursday was postponed due to failure of the Service Chiefs to appear in persons for the event.
This was just as the House insisted that all heads of the nation’s security agencies must appear in person to answer questions related to the security situation in the country.
The novel series is part of initiatives by the Speaker Tajudeen Abbas -led House to improve its constitutional oversight of the executive arm of government, in line with the Legislative Agenda for the 10th Assembly launched on Monday.
The House had lined up schedules of engagements with the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government, with the service chiefs expected at its plenary on Thursday.
However, the chiefs stayed off and sent subordinates to make submissions on their behalf, prompting the House to send them back, and resolved that they personally appear next week, as it hae has been postponed owing to failure of the Service Chiefs to appear in persons for the event.
Those expected were the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff and the Inspector General of Police.
Shortly after the representatives introduced themselves, Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, raisng a comstitutional Point of Order, drew the attention of the lawmakers to the fact that they Service Chiefs were invited to appear in persons and not by proxits, and moved a motion, praying the House not to entertain presentations from the subordinates.
Sustaining both the order and the motion, Speaker Abbas sent the guests to take their leave, and directed the Service Chiefs to appear before the House next Tuesday.
Addressing journalists later, spokesman of the House said “it was simply unacceptable to the House”, saying while the House understood how busy the chiefs might be, members were also concerned on the current security situation in the country.
“The leadership (of the House) felt it was to have representatives of the Service Chiefs on a very crucial matter like that. Members massively voted in support of the motion that the service chiefs should appear in persons, and answer questions”, he said.
