Buhari Will Appear Before House, Says Speaker after Meeting with President

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday proved cynics wrong, as he
agreed to comply with the resolution of the House of
Representatives summoning him to appear before it to explain why
insecurity is threatening the country to its very fabric and what
he’s doing about it.

Making the disclosure while answering questions from journalists
after leading a delegation to a meeting with the president, Speaker
of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said the
group was in the State House to covey to Buhari the resolution
summoning him to appear before it.

He said aside conveying the resolution to the president, they
also had the intention of fixing the date for the president’s
appearance but they later declined fixing the date in deference to
the president’s office.

However, he was swift to add that they eventually reached an
agreement with the president on the date he would appear before
them, but declined to make the date known, promising instead that
it would be communicated to journalists later.

“We came to see the President on developments in the country. He
was so willing to listen as typical of the president.

“The usual democrat that he is. 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, what date will be convenient.

“We have agreed on a date and he will meet with the House to
address the situation. We have fixed a date but we will communicate
with you. He is a perfect democrat. He will come to the House to
address members in the nearest future,” he said.

Asked what was his perception of the president’s handling of
security threats ravaging the country, Gbajabiamila was swift to
add that the president was more concerned about the worsening
insecurity bedeviling the country.

He added, however, that he would avoid pre-emptying the
president until he personally appears before the House, adding that
Buhari is committed to addressing security crises threatening the
country.

According to Gbajabiamila, when Buhari appears before the House,
he will not be there to address only the lawmakers, but will rather
use the floor of the House as a platform to address the entire
citizens of the country.

“I think he is more concerned than me and you. Uneasy lies the
head that wears the crown. We will leave everything until when he
comes to the House. Let me not pre-empt him. All I can tell you for
now is that he is fully committed to the security of lives and
property of Nigerians.

“He is coming to talk to Nigerians through the House. You know
that the House, as it is constituted, every Nigerian is present in
the House. Every constituency in this country is represented in the
House. So, when Mr. President is talking to the House, he is
talking to Nigerians through their representatives,” he added.

The House had entered into a rowdy session on Tuesday following
a motion presented by a member from Borno State, Hon. Satomi Ahmed,
on behalf of other 10 Borno State lawmakers.

Ahmed’s motion which was the fallout of the heinous killings of
43 farmers on their rice farms in Zarbamari by Boko Haram
insurgents on Saturday, also demanded a declaration of a state of
emergency on security matters in the country by the president.

Ahmed had disputed the claim that the number of people killed
was 43, saying the exact number was not yet known, recalling how
the insurgents tied up farmers and slit their throats.

However, Ahmed had in his motion deliberately omitted the prayer
summoning the president, prompting one of the co-sponsors of the
motion, Hon. Ahmadu Jaha, to raise a point of order, drawing his
colleagues’ attention to one of the prayers in the motion which
Ahmed had failed to express.

According to Jaha, all sponsors of the motion agreed that Buhari
should be summoned to tell the House what he’s doing about the
security situation in the country.

Jaha’s point of order, calling for the House’s resolution
summoning the president, received the backing of majority of
members, but some opposed it, thus throwing the House into a rowdy
session, until Gbajabiamila called for the dissolution of the House
into an executive session.

The outcome of the session was not made public, until
Gbajabiamila led a delegation to a meeting with the president
yesterday.

Well meaning Nigerians and groups, including Afenifere and
Northern Elders’ Forum swiftly threw their weight behind the House
motion to summon Buhari, lamenting how insecurity had become a norm
in the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday proved cynics wrong, as he
agreed to comply with the resolution of the House of
Representatives summoning him to appear before it to explain why
insecurity is threatening the country to its very fabric and what
he’s doing about it.

Making the disclosure while answering questions from journalists
after leading a delegation to a meeting with the president, Speaker
of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said the
group was in the State House to covey to Buhari the resolution
summoning him to appear before it.

He said aside conveying the resolution to the president, they
also had the intention of fixing the date for the president’s
appearance but they later declined fixing the date in deference to
the president’s office.

However, he was swift to add that they eventually reached an
agreement with the president on the date he would appear before
them, but declined to make the date known, promising instead that
it would be communicated to journalists later.

“We came to see the President on developments in the country. He
was so willing to listen as typical of the president.

“The usual democrat that he is. 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, what date will be convenient.

“We have agreed on a date and he will meet with the House to
address the situation. We have fixed a date but we will communicate
with you. He is a perfect democrat. He will come to the House to
address members in the nearest future,” he said.

Asked what was his perception of the president’s handling of
security threats ravaging the country, Gbajabiamila was swift to
add that the president was more concerned about the worsening
insecurity bedeviling the country.

He added, however, that he would avoid pre-emptying the
president until he personally appears before the House, adding that
Buhari is committed to addressing security crises threatening the
country.

According to Gbajabiamila, when Buhari appears before the House,
he will not be there to address only the lawmakers, but will rather
use the floor of the House as a platform to address the entire
citizens of the country.

“I think he is more concerned than me and you. Uneasy lies the
head that wears the crown. We will leave everything until when he
comes to the House. Let me not pre-empt him. All I can tell you for
now is that he is fully committed to the security of lives and
property of Nigerians.

“He is coming to talk to Nigerians through the House. You know
that the House, as it is constituted, every Nigerian is present in
the House. Every constituency in this country is represented in the
House. So, when Mr. President is talking to the House, he is
talking to Nigerians through their representatives,” he added.

The House had entered into a rowdy session on Tuesday following
a motion presented by a member from Borno State, Hon. Satomi Ahmed,
on behalf of other 10 Borno State lawmakers.

Ahmed’s motion which was the fallout of the heinous killings of
43 farmers on their rice farms in Zarbamari by Boko Haram
insurgents on Saturday, also demanded a declaration of a state of
emergency on security matters in the country by the president.

Ahmed had disputed the claim that the number of people killed
was 43, saying the exact number was not yet known, recalling how
the insurgents tied up farmers and slit their throats.

However, Ahmed had in his motion deliberately omitted the prayer
summoning the president, prompting one of the co-sponsors of the
motion, Hon. Ahmadu Jaha, to raise a point of order, drawing his
colleagues’ attention to one of the prayers in the motion which
Ahmed had failed to express.

According to Jaha, all sponsors of the motion agreed that Buhari
should be summoned to tell the House what he’s doing about the
security situation in the country.

Jaha’s point of order, calling for the House’s resolution
summoning the president, received the backing of majority of
members, but some opposed it, thus throwing the House into a rowdy
session, until Gbajabiamila called for the dissolution of the House
into an executive session.

The outcome of the session was not made public, until
Gbajabiamila led a delegation to a meeting with the president
yesterday.

Well meaning Nigerians and groups, including Afenifere and
Northern Elders’ Forum swiftly threw their weight behind the House
motion to summon Buhari, lamenting how insecurity had become a norm
in the country.