After nine people died and several were kidnapped; following bandits’ attack on an Abuja-Kaduna train, service chiefs and others invited by the House of Representatives shunned the invitation.
A visibly angry Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, who presided over the panel, expressed disappointment with the officials for sending representatives.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives had summoned the said officials in the aftermath of the deadly attack on the train and the other attacks on the Kaduna Airport.
The House summoned the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika and others.
Speaking at the hearing, Mr Wase said none of the heads of the agencies invited deemed it fit to appear before the House.
The Deputy speaker refused to preside over the hearing saying the heads of the agencies ought to have appeared.
“I am constrained as the Deputy speaker to continue the meeting because the accounting officers are the ones that are supposed to be here while we give them necessary support. So, we cannot proceed. I am saying 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 saddened. I am not happy. I am expressing my disappointment. I do not know if you have a tangible excuse because all the agencies that we invited, none has the respect to have one chief executive. None. Maybe, we are considered to be jokers but we are jokers.
A representative of the Military said the army chiefs are in a meeting with the president, Mr Wase said that does not justify shunning the Parliament.
He ruled that the House will reconvene on Thursday, by 3 pm, and all agency heads must appear before the committee.
