Foreign Minister’s Denial of Invitation Insult on N’Assembly, House Insists

The claim by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, that the allegation made by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, that he refused to appear before the House to brief it on the plights of Nigerians facing xenophobic attacks in South Africa was untrue, has been described as an insult on the National Assembly.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who countered the minister’s claim on Thursday in a press briefing at the House of Representatives media centre, said Onyeama’s claim is an insult on the integrity of the lawmakers, particularly the Speaker, Gbajabiamila.

In his reaction to the claim by the minister, Kalu said: “I represent the House of Representatives made of men and women of integrity, men of honesty and high reputations, and to declare a statement made by the leadership of the House, especially the Speaker, that an invitation was extended and it was dis-honoured, was a lie, is to cast a great aspersion on the integrity of the House of Representatives. We take an exception to that.

“I wish to maintain that an invitation was duly extended to the minister in question and that invitation was not honoured, and the House frowns at it, and I can assure you that we are taking steps to ensure that in the future, such disobedient act and dishonour to the House will not be tolerated.

“We know what to do as allowed by the provisions of the law enabling the offices of the House of Representatives. He was invited, but didn’t honour it. I am sure he would honour it. If he didn’t get it, we have made it open-we have declared it openly that there is an invitation for him. I am sure that he is a gentle man, and would honour the invitation because we are not working against each other. We are working together in this dispensation.”

Meanwhile, in a separate briefing held at the close of plenary on Thursday, Hon Ajibola Muraina representing lbarapa Central/North federal constituency in Oyo State, made a clarion call to all Nigerians of financial and other capacities all over the world to be selfless and be ready at all times to assist fellow countrymen on whatever condition they find themselves anywhere in the world.

He particularly tasked members of the National Assembly to contribute from their salaries to help in evacuating Nigerians in South Africa.

He said: “Since the National Assembly has taken the lead in appreciating the return of the spirit of selflessness and being our brother’s keepers as well as exhibiting the milk of kindness, I humbly suggest that the National Assembly should further lead by example.

“I suggest most humbly that my noble colleagues from the National Assembly should consider making token donations from their salaries for the cabin crew of Air Peace that worked and continue to work without taking any allowance for the evacuation of Nigerians in South Africa to Nigeria.”