Lagos-Ibadan highway: Reps summon Fashola over ‘inciting’ comments

John Ameh and Okechukwu Nnodim

The row between the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), and the National Assembly over the 2017 budget deepened on Tuesday as members of the House of Representatives summoned the former Lagos State governor to explain his post-budget utterances.

Fashola’s case was the first motion on privilege the visibly angry lawmakers passed as they reconvened in Abuja after a two-week sallah vacation.

 They said his comments on the cuts on the budget of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the 2nd Niger Bridge did not only breach the privilege of legislators but were also attempts to incite Nigerians against the National Assembly.

Lawmakers specifically objected to Fahsola’s description of members as people having “stark, worrisome knowledge” of the budget of his ministry.

They said it was a demonstration of his lack of regard for the National Assembly as a democratic institution.

The resolution to summon Fashola came from a motion of privilege moved by a member of the All Progressives Congress  from Adamawa State, Mr. Sadiq Ibrahim, at the session presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara.

The minister, by the House resolution, will appear before an ad hoc committee, chaired by another APC member from Kano State, Mr. Aliyu Madaki.

Fashola had, last week, criticised the decision of the National Assembly to slash the budget of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway from N31bn to N10bn and that of the 2nd Niger Bridge from N15bn to N10bn.

But the House had also replied him last week through its spokesman, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, dismissing Fashola as telling Nigerians “half truths.”

The House alleged that the minister’s real reason for attacking the legislature was because the National Assembly removed a provision of N20bn he made for “contingencies” in the budget.

On the floor on Tuesday, while moving a motion to summon Fashola, Ibrahim observed that as a member of the executive arm of the government, Fashola participated in the discussions prior to the passage of the budget.

Many hands went up immediately Ibrahim rounded off his speech as more members wanted to speak in support of Ibrahim.

But Dogara intervened, reducing further comments to just the Chief Whip of the House, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, and the Chairman, Committee on Public Accounts, Mr. Kingsley Chinda.

Ado-Doguwa stated that Fashola did not hold the legislature in high esteem, going by his utterances after the budget was passed and signed into law by the Acting President, Pof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Gbajabiamila made no comments at the session though he was present.

On his part, Chinda appealed to members to be calm, not minding that they were hurt by Fashola’s utterances.

The House passed the resolution in a unanimous voice vote.

Dogara later named Madaki as the chairman of the ad hoc committee.

Meanwhile, Fashola has said he is ready to honour the summons of the House.

The minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, said, “The House of Reps says you should come at a fixed date; it is an invitation.

“That’s a hypothetical question. Why would he not go, has he not been honouring their previous invitations?”

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: editor@punchng.com

 

Source: Punchng
Lagos-Ibadan highway: Reps summon Fashola over ‘inciting’ comments

The post Lagos-Ibadan highway: Reps summon Fashola over ‘inciting’ comments appeared first on Naijadailyfeed.