The House of Representatives on Tuesday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to appear before it and address Nigerians on the spate of insecurity across the country.
The House said failure by the President to explain the issues raised by the legislative house would confirm the opinion of Nigerians that the administration had failed in its responsibility to protect lives and property.
This is part of the resolutions passed at the Plenary when the lawmakers unanimously adopted a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Gwer-East/Gwer-West Federal Constituency in Benue State, Mr. Mark Gbillah.
The motion was titled, ‘Resurgence of the Incessant and Annual Massacre of Innocent Nigerians Across the Country by Alleged Bandits and Killer Herdsmen, the Gradual Occupation of Affected Communities by these Attackers and the Lack of Adequate Rehabilitation and Relief Materials.’
Adopting the motion, which was not debated, the lawmakers resolved to “request that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces address the House and the entire nation within 48 hours.”
Buhari is expected to make a series of explanations to Nigerians.
They are, “His inability and the inability of his administration since inception to declare the killer herdsmen as terrorists to enable commensurate action against them by the Armed Forces.
“The inability of the of the Armed Forces under his watch to stop the recurring death of scores of innocent Nigerians annually from systemic attacks by killer herdsmen and alleged bandits, and the gradual occupation of the affected communities by these herdsmen despite countless assurances and statements by him, promising to stop these attacks.”
Others are, “The inability of NEMA under his watch to immediately provide relief materials and rehabilitation of affected communities in line with their statutory mandate, in spite of the N10bn he announced had been provided in this regard and what immediate intervention his administration intends to provide to affected communities and how soon.”
The lawmakers resolved that they would “conclude along with other Nigerians, if the President fails to respond to the aforementioned queries within 48 hours, that he and his administration are incapable of permanently curtailing the incessant killing of innocent Nigerians by killer herdsmen and the occupation of their land, and have failed in their primary, constitutional responsibility of ensuring the security and welfare of the citizens of Nigeria.”
The House further resolved to constitute an ad hoc committee to interface with the Presidency regarding the queries, while it would engage with the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali; Chief of Defence Staff and other Service Chiefs; Chairman and Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, related state governments and relevant stakeholders.
