BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, has described the position of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami on President Muhammadu Buhari’s summon by the National Assembly as strange.
This was as the lawmaker who represents Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, Enugu State, also said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is evidently fiddling with propaganda and politics while Nigeria is fast burning.
Okechukwu, who stated these on Wednesday while reacting to the AGF’s position that the National Assembly lacks power to summon President Buhari over security issues, said that it is clear that Malami was only stating the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Justice Minister had in a statement insisted that the House of Representatives resolution inviting President Muhammadu Buhari to appear and interface with it on the rising insecurity situation in the country was clearly outside constitutional bounds.
However, Okechukwu, who is also a senior lawyer, explained that the invitation extended to the President by the House was a judicious effort by the legislature towards finding a lasting solution to the worsening insecurity in the country.
He further said that President Buhari’s willingness to appear was evident in his interaction with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
According to him; “Without making undue efforts to win an argument, Section 89 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended clearly empowers the Senate or the House of Representatives or a committee appointed in accordance with Section 62 of the Constitution to procure evidence, written or oral and to ‘summon any person in Nigeria to give evidence at any place.
“Therefore the attempt to pressurize Mr President not to appear clearly shows that some highly placed political actors in the ruling party are placing politics over the protection of the lives of Nigerians.
The lawmaker noted as unfortunate, a situation where every invitation by a branch of government to another branch to interact towards addressing national challenges is considered as demeaning, thereby triggering unnecessary flexing of muscles.
In his words; “It is evident from APC’s position as made public by the AGF that the safety of Nigerian citizens would take a back seat in the next few days, while the argument over who is right or wrong unfortunately takes the front seat”.
Okechukwu therefore, called on President Buhari to rise above legalese and political fray to show leadership in order to rally the Nigerian people and their parliament to find lasting solutions to the growing insecurity in the country.
