The planned investigative hearing into the recent terrorist attacks on Kaduna airport and Abuja-Kaduna rail scheduled for Wednesday was stalled following the absence of all the Service Chiefs.
Worried by the development, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Ahmed Idris, who presided over the session, expressed displeasure over the failure of the heads of relevant security institutions and agencies invited to investigative hearing in relation to the recent airport and train attacks, to honour the House invitation.
Those invited included the National Security Adviser, Minister of Defence, the Minister of Transport, Aviation Minister, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs, Director General of DSS, Inspector General of Police, Minister of Aviation, Director General of NCAA, Managing Director of NAMA and Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
It was only the Managing Director, MD of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr Mathew Pwajok, that came in person.
For instance, Major-General Akinjobi O. T who represented the Army said his bosses were in a meeting with the President.
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“The Chief of Defence Staff and the Service Chiefs regret not being here. They are currently in a meeting o the directive of Mr President for the same reason. They have been at it since last night,” he said.
Similarly, the representative of the IGP, DIG Sanusi Lemu also said that the absence of the IGP was not deliberate.
“The Nigerian police force and other security agencies are pained by the happenings. We apologize for the absence of our commandants, it’s not really deliberate, it’s because of the importance they attached to the parliament that’s why they asked us to come,” he said.
While ruling, Hon Wase said: “This meeting was called sequel to a motion brought before the floors of the House regarding what is happening in Kaduna over the incessant attack, first our airports, the railways and the various communities around Kaduna.
“This became a matter of urgent importance for us to tackle because Nigerians no longer have recipe in terms of means of movement, ease of communication and many loss of lives.
“That is the reason why the House in its own wisdom put up this committee to be chaired by the leadership of the House alongside all the chairmen of the various committees that has to with security to interface with the agencies responsible.
“We do not have any doubt regarding your capacity and your role. But as a House, I am constrained as a Deputy Speaker to continue the meeting because the accounting officers that are supposed to be here, while you give them the necessary support.
“So we cannot proceed and I am saying with a heavy heart that no matter the assignment that our generals are handling I believe the parliament requires a listening ear. This is the House of the people. I am saddened, I am not happy. I am expressing my disappointment.
“I do not know if you have any tangible excuse. Because in all the agencies none have the respect to have one chief executive here. It means then maybe we are considered to be jokers but we are not jokers. We are not.
Meanwhile, efforts made by the representative of the Minister of Aviation that the Minister got permission from the Presidency failed as the Deputy Speaker warned against insubordination.
“Please do not use the name of the President. Please excuse do not use the name of the President. If he is out of the country, he is out of the country. This institution is not under the Presidency. It is an institution of its own,” Hon. Wase said.
The deputy speaker added that it was only in Nigeria that appointees of government will refuse to honour the invitation of the Parliament.
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