Following a closed door meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari has agreed to address the House of Representatives on the state of insecurity in the country, as requested by the lawmakers.
Emerging from the meeting, the Speaker revealed this to State House Correspondents, saying a date would be fixed for the President’s address.
The Crest recalls that the House of Representatives had, after a rowdy plenary, on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, resolved to invite Buhari to address members in plenary over the security crises across the country.
Tempers had flared at the plenary, Tuesday, as members discussed the massacre, by Boko Haram terrorists, of 43 rice farmers in Borno State, coupled with the sundry security crisses enveloping the country. The members were sharply divided over a motion seeking to invite Buhari to appear before the lawmakers and adress them in plenary on the spiralling insecurity in Nigeria.
The debate had turned rowdy after the Speaker appealed to members that it would be counter-productive to invite the President to disclose the actions being taken towards handling the security situation in the country. That provoked emotional reactions from many members and the House had to go into an executive session to resolve the matter.
After the executive session, the House resumed in plenary and Representative Ahmed Jaha, one of the sponsors of the motion, moved an amendment to invite the President to brief on the security situation in the country.
The motion was carried.
While speaking to State House Correspondents, the House Speaker said the President was very worried about the rising spate of insecurity in the country. “I think he is more concerned than me or you,” Gbajabiamila said, adding that the President was favourably disposed to appearing before the House.
“He was ever so ready to listen as is typical of Mr President, the usual democrat that he is,” said Gbajabiamila, “and what we basically sought was to convey the resolution of the House and to fix a date which we did not fix out of respect for Mr President and his very tight schedule. We have agreed on a date and he will meet with the House to address the situation.
“I think he is more concerned than me or you. That’s all I can say. You know they say uneasy lies the head. We will leave everything till he comes to the House. So, let me not pre-empt. The DS is here, the leader is here to bear me witness. He (Buhari) is fully committed to security, life and property of Nigerians.”
