Reps Summon Fashola Over Inciting Comments
The House of Representatives, Tuesday, summoned Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to answer to the allegations that it messed up with his ministry’s 2017 budget and slashed appropriations for critical infrastructure projects. Consequently, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, set up a 14-man committee headed by Aliyu Madaki from Kano State to handle the investigation.
It will be recalled that there had been running verbal war between the minister and the National Assembly over the budget, which had been assented to by Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
Coming under matters of urgent public importance at plenary, Ibrahim Sadiq from Adamawa State recalled that in the passing weeks, the media had been awashed with unsavory comments by Fashola against the legislators.
He regretted that the minister abandoned the official channels of communication and took to the street to square up against them.
He said: “The Minister of Works has been talking about the issues that have been rested. The minister is not a spokesperson of the judiciary, therefore, he has no powers to speak on an already assented budget.
“The minister has abandoned official channels of communication to the legislature. This budget has been signed by the Acting President and it has become a law. I pray that this House will summon the Honorable Minister to appear before a committee of this House and answer for the bridge and inciting Nigerians.”
Also speaking, the Chief Whip of the House, Ado Doguwa, said the integrity of the legislative institution had been greatly injured by the minister.
According to him, Fashola has by his action, incited the people against the federal lawmakers who had dutifully executed their constitutional mandate on their budget.
He, therefore, called for sanctions against the minister.
