ABUJA – The House of Representatives on Wednesday mandated some of its committees to investigate Monday’s alleged frisking of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal’s official vehicle in Kaduna.
Some soldiers allegedly insisted on searching the official vehicle of the Speaker at a public function.
The committees are Defence, Army, Police, Interior, Public Safety and National Intelligence.
They are expected to report back to the House within one week.
The resolution followed a motion by Rep. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi (PDP-Enugu), which was unanimously adopted without debate when put to vote by the Speaker.
Ozomgbachi, while moving the motion criticised the action of the security personnel, saying it was a dent on the entire membership and institution of the House which Tambuwal represents.
According to Ozomgbachi, the “embarrassing” development might be a fall-out of over zealousness of the security personnel.
Following his submissions, Tambuwal announced that the leadership of the House had consulted and agreed that he (the Speaker) should brief members on the development before any further debate on the matter.
The House then went into a close door session and a resolution was taken after the session to investigate the matter.
Tambuwal recalled that on June 18 while on his way to Paris, the ground staff of Air France in Nigeria subjected his physical person and luggage to searching.
He said that he graciously complied with the screening as a law-abiding citizen who was not averse to such security screenings.
Tambuwal, however, said that as the Speaker, House of Representatives, he was expected to enjoy some protocol and privileges.
He, however, cautioned that no one should have the impression that members of the legislature were above the law.
“No one out there should have any impression that any of us here in the House of Representatives or in the National Assembly is above the law; that is not the message we’re sending.
“What we are talking about is the institution of the legislature and not the individuals that are constituted in the Nigerian legislature,” he said. (NAN)
