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Gbajabiamila Berates Service Chiefs for Shunning Security Meeting

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Friday berated the nation’s service chiefs for failing to attend, personally, a security meeting called by the House.

The lower chamber of the National Assembly condemned the service and security chiefs for sending representatives, including accountants, to a meeting called by the parliament on the security crises across the country.

The Speaker, who was visibly angry, said it showed the service chiefs had disdain for the lawmakers and not bothered about insecurity in the country.

Gbajabiamila stated that he would discuss the absenteeism when he meets President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; the Director-General, Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi; and the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, were however present.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Gabriel Olonisakin, was represented by the Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Defence Headquarters, Maj-Gen Leo Irabor; and the Chief of Accounts and Budget (Nigerian Army), Maj-Gen Kola Bakare.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Army, Lt-Gen Lamidi Adeosun; while the Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Tariworio Dick, represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, was represented by the Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao.

Gbajabiamila said, “My remarks will be a little bit uncoordinated because the meeting itself is uncoordinated. There is a reason why we called this meeting, which unfortunately may not even go on. The reason is very simple, because of the security situation in certain areas of the country.

“But let me first of all commend President Muhammadu Buhari for the commitment he is showing to stem the tide and to put a handle and lead on the security situation in Nigeria today. Unfortunately, Mr President cannot work alone, he has to have people to delegate those powers to as the Commander-in-Chief as dictated by our Constitution. But because of the fact that Mr President has delegated those powers to the service chiefs, we decided to call this meeting as representatives of the people.

“This meeting was not called by a committee of the House; not that it matters. The meeting was called by the highest level of the legislature. It was called personally by me as the Speaker of the House.”

The Speaker, while commending the IG, Nigerian Immigration Service and DSS bosses for their attendance, said, “But let me say that as the House is an institution, I cannot understate my disappointment or our disappointment at the rest of the service chiefs that are not here.”

He added, “Again, like I said, we called this meeting because it was important. You can see members from Borno State here. There is crisis in Borno State right now. We wanted to hear from the service chiefs, to know what is going on, to know how the house can help. What are the problems? What are the challenges? I am sure you do not expect the House to fold its arms over what is going on in Maiduguri and other parts.”

The Speaker also noted that the meeting was called ahead of the arrival of the 2020 Appropriation Bill at the National Assembly to know how the lawmakers could assist security agencies financially.

The Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, said he took the development as an insult to the legislative institution.

Wase said, “As far as I am concerned, as chairman of a committee, I have never attended to any agency in the absence of the chief executive and accounting officer. And I know that these service chiefs are the accounting officers of their various agencies. It is our practice and tradition.

“I am insulted and I feel insulted that these leadership would make a pronouncement and say ‘come, let us discuss the problem that is affecting our country’ but the same people who are in charge of security, coordinating it, the active officers who are supposed to be on the field are not here. I want to say that it should not be tolerated.”

Gbajabiamila, speaking further, said the meeting was to discuss the ‘Super Camps’ being set up by the military, which was brought up as a motion during Thursday’s plenary but was stood down for security reasons.

“Do I now bring up that motion on the floor on Tuesday, since there is nobody to answer our questions? I think enough has been said. We will adjourn this meeting till Monday, 10am,” Gbajabiamila said.

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Copyright 2019 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant source.

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