Frequent Disregard of National Assembly’s Summons

                                        Notes for File

It has now become a pastime for heads of federal government agencies to ignore invitations extended to them by the National Assembly. Last week, members of the House of Representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the attitude of heads of agencies invited over the recent attack on a train in Kaduna.

The lower legislative chamber had invited the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd); Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd); Chief of Air Staff, Ari Marshall Isiaka Amao; Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; Inspector-General of Police (IG), Usman Baba; Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika and Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

Also invited were the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority; Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and General Manager, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

However, at the meeting last Wednesday, some of the public officials were absent, while others merely sent in their representatives.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase, expressed displeasure over the non-appearance of the invited public officials and declined to allow their representatives to make presentations. It is always sad that each time the National Assembly invites heads of federal government agencies, they turn it down. It not only shows their total disregard and disrespect for the parliament. If one may ask, what are they afraid of that each time they are invited?

What many of the heads of these agencies do not know is that, the parliament is the house of the people and their appearance is an opportunity for them to tell Nigerians what they are doing with the positions given to them. It could also be a forum to learn more.

No matter the assignment they are handling, the parliament requires a listening ear. In any case, what are these officials doing anyway? Nothing! Despite all they think they are doing, are Nigerians seeing any good result? The answer is No! All they see almost on a daily basis are more attacks, deaths, sorrow and miseries.

The National Assembly needs to be serious with itself by stamping its authority and ensuring that anytime any head of an agency refuses to honour any invite he or she is seriously sanctioned.