Cracks In Reps As Opposition Lawmakers Threaten Spokesman

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has faulted a statement credited to the House spokesman, Hon. Akin Rotimi, where he purportedly responded to  concerns raised by opposition lawmakers on the state of insecurity and worsening hardship in the country.

The caucus in a statement by its spokesman, Hon. Afam Ogene, demanded a public apology from Rotimi for misrepresenting the position of the House and for contempt of the Minority Caucus.

The caucus said failure to render such apology within 72 hours would compel it to petition the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for appropriate redress.

Rotimi had in a statement on Friday reminded the Minority Caucus that it remained an integral part of government within the legislative arm of the state and parliament collectively bears responsibility for lawmaking, oversight, and appropriation, and is therefore jointly accountable for strengthening national security outcomes.

According to him, the obligation to offer solutions, strengthen institutions, and support effective policy implementation is a shared one, not one divided along caucus lines.

But the opposition lawmakers equally reminded the House spokesman in a statement yesterday that it was the constitutional duty of Parliament to hold the executive to account, saying the current president while in the opposition, rightly declared that “the buck stops at the president’s table.”

“That constitutional position has not changed.  Thus, the legislature must never look away when the country bleeds,” they said.

The opposition lawmakers emphasised that the executive had repeatedly failed to honour commitments made to the Nigerian people through the parliament. But rather than demand accountability, the House spokesman chose to defend the indefensible.

“The caucus declares, unequivocally, that parliament is not, and will never be, a lapdog of the executive. We will keep speaking for Nigerians, even if the Majority Caucus elects to capitulate at the altar of blind partisanship, shredding the sacred doctrine of checks and balances, upon which democracy either bleeds or thrives,” the statement said.

The caucus further expressed concern over the procedural impropriety exhibited by the House spokesman which set a dangerous precedence for parliamentary conduct.