LAGOS DECEMBER 10TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain and former Delta State Gubernatorial Aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has faulted claim by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) that the National Assembly lacks the power to invite the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to speak on security matters.
Onuesoke who faulted the statement of the Attorney-General while reacting to questions from Airport Correspondent at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja while traveling from New York, United States noted that if NASS lack the constitutional power to summon the president as interpreted by Malami, that means Nigeria is not practicing a democratic system of Government which brought both the President and other elected office holder to office.
“Honestly, I cannot believe what I am reading. Which constitution grant Malami and his boss the right not to appear before a National Assembly summon, especially on matters that affects the people they represents when people’s lives are lost on daily basis. Morally speaking, do they even need to summon anybody that has human feelings before such a person begin to request for appearance and give situation reports to the entire nation,” he disclosed.
Onuesoke argued that the defense of Malami has no bases because the legislators represent the people and the president is answerable to the people.
He argued that a country cannot be practicing democracy and her president is not answerable to the elected representative of the people.
According to him, by his statement, Malami is telling Nigerians that the government they learnt in secondary school about check and balance in democratic state like Nigeria is fake and scam.
“Malami should tell Nigerians what provision or section of the Constitution bar the NASS from inviting a president, or direct us to a ruling of the Supreme Court preventing a president from honouring the invitation of the legislative arm of government.
“Anyway, Buhari accepted the invitation nonetheless while the Speaker of the House of Representative and other Aso Rock aides confirmed the appearance of the president. Perhaps Buhari is ignorant while Gbajabiamila is a liar, and both political leaders are not versed in the workings of a democracy? Malami is surely taking Nigerians for fools.
“Not that any thing good can come out from the appearance of Buhari at the National Assembly.However, not honouring the call of the legislators, especially after giving an undertaken to the Hon Speaker, should be a good ground to commence impeachment proceedings against the president for disobedient, disrespectful and dishonourable conduct unbecoming of the president of Nigeria,” he stated.