Member Representing Aboh Mbaise / Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency, Rt Hon Bede Uchenna Eke has called on the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru to own up to the report submitted by the Nigerian Army to the House of Representatives House Committee On Arms.
The federal lawmaker raised a point of order shortly after the House Committee Chairman on Arms, Hon Olaide Akinremi asked members to make inputs, Eke argued that both the service chiefs and national Assembly members are serving Nigerians hence the need for synergy amongst the legislature and the security chiefs, he called on his colleagues to jettison the report submitted by the Military on grounds that the report is not before the committee.
Continuing he said the Chief Of Army Staff, Lt Ibrahim Attahiru should go through what they submitted to the Special Ad-hoc Committee to be sure that the documents came from his office and the house should officially own it up before Nigerians before we can speak on the documents.
‘We are all working for the progress of this country. The Chief of Army staff has told us how he has been meeting people because of the security situation of this country and this special ad-hoc committee was set up by the house for same purpose, we are here to partner with them as well as other security agencies in the country to make sure that the uprising as well as security situation in the country is calm.
‘His invitation before this House Committee is for the Chief of Army staff to tell us his challenges after all at the end of our sittings and hearing, this special ad-hoc committee will make a submission to the committee of the whole house.
‘If there are areas we need to make recommendations, we will do the needful. I want the Chief of Army staff to know that we are as important as those people he has been meeting.
‘Am from Imo state, recently we had a jail break, a very embarrassing one. This development amounts to the reason why this special ad-hoc committee was set up.
Eke disclosed that victims of banditry and killings herdsmen are Nigerians who are also related to both military and legislators. ‘ We expect the service chiefs to tell us if lack of funds to procure ammunition was militating against their efficiency in the fight against insecurity or otherwise adding that the House Committee was capable of making recommendations if required.
Recall that the House of Representatives Special Adhoc Committee On The Need To Review The Purchase, Use And Control Of Arms, Ammunition And Related Hardware And Other Law Enforcement Agencies In Nigeria invited the Chief of Army Staff and the Governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele to appear before the special Adhoc Committee on April 12th, 2021.
