
The House of Representatives on Wednesday blasted the Service Chiefs, saying if there was synergy in their operations the spate of insecurity rocking the country would be averted.
The Deputy Speaker, Rep Ahmed Wase, was furious that the Service Chiefs did not turn up for a meeting which they were invited by the House over incessant attacks in Kaduna particularly the recent one on the airport and railway that led to loss of lives.
Expected at the meeting were the National Security Adviser; Chief of Defence Staff; Chief of Army Staff; Director-General, Department of State Services; Inspector-General of Police; Director-General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority; Managing Director, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency; Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation; the Minister of Aviation; and .the Minister of Transport.
Except for NAMA, whose Acting Managing Director was present, the rest sent representatives.
Also at the meeting were the Chairman of the House Committees on Aviation, National Security and Intelligence, Police Affairs, Army, Air Force, Defence and land transport.
The meeting was sequel to a motion brought before the floor of the House regarding incessant attacks in Kaduna particularly the recent one on the airport and railway that led to loss of lives.
The Deputy Speaker was furious that all those invited for the meeting did not show up but sent representatives.
He then rescheduled the meeting for 3pm the following day (today).
“Let us begin to do the right thing. This country belongs to all of us. If there is synergy in operation, this thing would not happen. It would not happen,” an agitated Wase said.
Wase said the situation is a matter of urgent importance for the House to tackle because Nigerians no longer have means of movement, ease of communication and many lives have been lost.
He said, “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 have 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 it is 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.”

A Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Aviation, Abel Enitan angered the Deputy Speaker further when he said the Minister was out of the country on an assignment by the President.
“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,” Wase said.
Chief of Operations of the Nigerian Army, Major General Oti Akinjobi, said the Service Chiefs were currently at a meeting at the directive of the president over the same same security crisis in Kaduna.
Akinjobi said the express nature of the assignment demanded that they hold a meeting immediately and they have been in session since Tuesday night up to the time of the meeting with the House.
But Wase said the excuses were not tenable.
“We appreciate the directive given by the president to sort out this matter. We also believe that their being here, even for 10 or 20 minutes, would not have reduced anything, in terms of what should have been done.
“These are excuses as far as I am concerned. Mr President has given various directives and instructions and we are aware and we have cooperated as a parliament but we have not seen the results. And that is why we are concerned. All these are excuses as far as we are concerned and we are not willing. I must be frank. The situation is almost like a blackmail to the government. We are losing our only pride today that we can showcase. That critical infrastructure that is about being destroyed is one of the legacies of the administration.
“My colleague just came from his constituency, Jewa. 150 people were killed. Has there not been commitment as to the day this thing would end? Every cooperation and assistance, I believe the president has given. And as a parliament, we have cooperated to ensure the safety of our people. So these are excuses not taken by the parliament.
“If you cannot fly, you cannot go by road, you cannot go by train, then where are we? Why are we deceiving ourselves. We respect all of you. We honour you. But let us come together and put our heads as people concerned, as Nigerians in leadership. What God has given us as trust, how do we discharge that duty. It is important,” he said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Sanusi Lemu, who represented the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, said it was because of the importance of the parliament they were sent to represent their principals.
This seemed to make Wase angrier as he said they could not have done otherwise.
He said “honouring an invitation of the parliament was not a favour.
He said it was only in Nigeria that parliament would summon an accounting officer but they would disregard it.
“It does not happen in any other democratic clime. Your appearance is not a favour done to us in any way. It is not done anywhere. If they are here, they are here to give account of what is their responsibility and that is the only place they can render appropriate account. The crafters of the constitution knew the reasons why they put us to do the scrutiny and oversight. We are the ones to ask questions and our questions must be answered.”
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