JUST IN : Lawmakers Push For Disciplinary Action Against Nyesom Wike and 6 Area Council Chairmen
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ikonne Ifeanyi, a member of the House Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, made the demand during the committee’s meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
The House of Representatives has called for sanctions against Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and six Area Council Chairmen for alleged insubordination and disregard for the legislative body.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ikonne Ifeanyi, a member of the House Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, made the demand during the committee’s meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
He stated that it was a show of disrespect and lack of regard for the House that the Minister and his council chairmen refused to appear before the House after they were needed on invitation.
He said, “Why must we invite someone here and they are given us the date they will appear? What about the risk people took to be there? We should not be seen pleading for them to appear before us.
“My own decision is that they should be the ones to look for us. If we don’t stop this arrogance, it will not stop.
“Henceforth, we will not approve anything for both the minister and the area council chairmen, and as a matter of fact, we will tell the president to remove Wike as the FCT minister.”
“I hereby move as a motion to bring this to the floor of the House for them to come and explain why they are not honouring our invitation,” he said.
Fredrick Agbedi, the chairman of the committee, said he viewed the action of the minister and the council chairmen as a breach of their constitutional responsibilities and a disservice to the people they serve.
“The committee’s oversight function is essential to ensuring accountability and good governance, and this refusal to honour our invitation undermines these efforts.
He said that the six area council chairmen had not flagged-off, completed or inaugurated any project in the area councils, unlike the minister.
“This is appalling considering the huge monthly allocation running into billions of Naira to each of the six area councils in the last one year and beyond,” he said.
He said the committee would not hesitate to invoke its power to ensure that the area council operate in the best interest of the people.
Also speaking, Rep. Adesola Adebayo (APC-Lagos), a member of the committee, said the function to oversee the activities of the council areas resides in the House.
He said as former council chairman of Apapa Local Government in Lagos State, the chairmen should know that they are extensions of the state House.
He stated that no chairman dares not to appear before the state House of Assembly because they have the power to remove them.
The legislator expressed outrage, viewing the area council chairmen’s refusal to appear as a deliberate disrespect towards the House of Representatives, despite receiving invitations.
“They were fully invited but wrote a letter within an hour saying that they would not be coming.
“We should apply the maximum pressure on them; they should be accountable to the legislature.
“It is disrespectful and disregardful for the House of Representatives for them not to have shown up,’’ he said.
The committee said that the FCT minister and the council chairmen see them as their ‘house boys,’ saying that such would not be tolerated.
However, Nurudeen Abbas (PDP-Oyo), suggested that the minister and the council chairmen should be given the last chance.
“Let’s communicate with them again, and if they fail to appear again, then we should sanction them.
A federal lawmaker, Sada Soli (APC-Katsina), however, asked that members be broken into a close session to discuss further.
