House Of Reps Summon Fashola Over Comments On National Assembly

 Members of the House of Representatives upon resuming plenary on Tuesday resumed their attack on the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola over what they described as “unwarranted and denigrating comments on the National Assembly’s role in the 2017 appropriation.

The lawmakers who had come hard on the former Lagos state governor through their spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC Adamawa), during the sallah break on Tuesday resolved to summon the minister to appear before an ad hoc committee to explain where he derived his powers to question the constitutional authorities of the legislature.

Recall that Fashola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was quoted as criticising the rationale behind the National Assembly’s decision to introduce new, non-federal projects into the budget of his Ministry whilst denying it of needed funds to execute critical projects, describing the scenarion as “unfair to Nigerians”

Not done with the issue as handled by its spokesman, the House on Tuesday considered and adopted a motion on matters of privilege, moved by Rep. Ibrahim Sadiq Abubakar (APC, Adamawa), to the effect that Fashola be summoned to explain why he would insight Nigerians against their representatives.

Moving the motion, Sadiqsaid: “Freedom of speech is a constitutional right guaranteed under the constitution. That right also sets boundaries beyond which an individual must not reach, lest he or she commits an offence”

“The minister of Power, Works and Housing by the exercise of his freedom of speech has breached my privileges and that of this House. Mr Speaker, I can quote many national dalies where the minister was reported as denigrating the National Assembly for performing its constitutional duties of appropriation on behalf of the masses of this country.

“I’m aware of meetings where the minister was in attendance and it was agreed that certain basic things needed by the people will be put in the budget. So for me, it was higly out of place for the minister to question the powers of the National Assembly to introduce people oriented projects in the budget.

“I therefore pray that this House summons the minister to tell the House the basis of his insightment of Nigerians against us and why basic amenities for Nigerians should not take precedence in the budget”?, the lawmaker prayed.

Responding, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), urged the House to invite the minister to face the committee on Ethics and Privileges with a view to extrating information as to why the minister made those insighting comments and submit recommendations on which basis the House can take further actions.

Chief Whip, Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano) on his part told the House that “what’s going on now in the context of Nigerian democracy is about some people who think they are above the law. When you talk about democracy, Mr Speaker, you are talking about the three arms of government, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary”.

“And being an arm of government, we must rise up and defend our rights as guaranteed by the constitution.