THE House of Representatives on Wednesday expressed anger after some security chiefs, ministers and heads government agencies failed to honour summons over the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train.
The House had on Tuesday extended invitations to National Security Adviser (NSA) Babagana Monguno; Minister of Defence Bashir Magashi; Chief of Air Staff Isiaka Amao; Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Yusuf Bichi; Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba; Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika and Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi.
READ ALSO:
Lady killed in Abuja-Kaduna train attack was planning wedding in October
Train attack: Kaduna govt concludes evacuation of passengers, confirms fatalities
Nigerian man awaiting sentence dies in London cell
Nigerian man awaiting sentence dies in London cell
Heads of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) were also summoned.
The invitees were to meet the lawmakers on Wednesday.
However, the security chiefs, ministers and heads of agencies failed to honour the invitation.
Instead, they sent representatives.
The lawmakers, who were angered at tgd development, discontinued the scheduled meeting after it was discovered that the invitees were not available.
House Deputy Speaker Idris Wase said although the representatives sent by the invitees might have all the necessary information, he was constrained to discontinue the meeting due to the absence of their respective bosses.
“We do not have any doubt regarding your capacity and your role. As operational officers, you have the intel in terms of what has to be done, but I’m constrained as the Deputy Speaker to continue the meeting because the accounting officers are the ones that are supposed to be here while you give them the necessary support.
“I am saying this with a heavy heart.
“No matter the assignment our generals are handling, I believe the parliament requires a listening ear. This is the house of the people. I am not happy expressing my disappointment.
“In all the agencies, none of all the chief executives that were invited came. Maybe we are considered to be jokers, but we are not jokers.”
The meeting was subsequently adjourned.
You can reach out to me on Twitter via: vincent_ufuoma