Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal, on Wednesday told members of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja that the House would continue to criticize the policies of the Federal Government, despite a summons issued by the party.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal, on Wednesday told members of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja that the House would continue to criticize the policies of the Federal Government, despite a summons issued by the party.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
Tambuwal, the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha; and the House Leader, Mrs Mulikat Akande were at the national secretariat of the party to answer the summons issued them by the party over frequent clashes with President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Speaker rejected the charge that there was friction between the House and the Executive. He told the NWC members, who were led by the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, that there was no such friction.
“We are working harmoniously with the Executive arm of government, for the benefit of the people of Nigeria,” he said.
“I want it to be on record that there is no bill from the Executive arm of government that hasn’t passed through the floor of the House of Representatives.”
“Of course, debates must be taken, issues must be raised, policies must be criticized, bills must be criticized, but at the end of the day, we get to the desired destination of ensuring that the
programmes of our government are passed.
“Whatever it is that you might have been seeing, Mr. Chairman, it has to go that way, because that’s what democracy is all about.”
Tukur had called the meeting following complaints from the President over the insistence by the House to raise the oil benchmark of $75 per barrel in the 2013 budget to $80.
Sources at the meeting, which was held behind closed doors after the opening remarks, said the Speaker at members of his team told the PDP leaders that only the House could alter what had been agreed on.
Efforts made by the party, asking the Speaker to use the PDP numerical strength in the House were said to have been in vain as the Speaker reportedly told them that “the House is one.”
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });