House of Representatives went into a rowdy session over the alleged non-remittance of ₦16 trillion in revenue by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The tension escalated after the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Mr. Bamidele Salami, moved that the CBN Governor be summoned to appear before the House plenary, while some lawmakers argued that an ad hoc committee should be constituted to investigate the matter and report back to the House.
Given the magnitude of the amount involved, another set of lawmakers moved that the CBN Governor must be compelled to appear before the Committee of the Whole, rather than a single committee.
A member from Maiduguri Ahmad Jaha, moved a motion calling on the house to summon the CBN Governor and other relevant stakeholders to appear before the Public Accounts Committee, failing which sanctions would apply the motion which passed through a voice vote.
Ahmad Jaha, aemphasized that referring the matter to the Committee of the Whole could undermine the confidence of the Public Accounts Committee and others handling similar reports, adding that the House must not encourage government officials to disregard its invitations.
On his part a member from Katsina state Sada Soli, stressed the need for the President to pay special attention to the revelations contained in the motion as it was coming from a constitutional committee headed by the opposition.
The situation was brought under control when the Chief Whip, Usman Bello Kumo, and the Minority Whip struggled to beg the agitating lawmakers moving from one seat to another to restore order in the green chamber.
COV/TSIBIRI
