Count N/Assembly out of N89trn stamp duty controversy – Gbajabiamila

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, says the National Assembly has no connection with the task of being pursued by a member of the House and secretary of the dissolved Presidential Committee on Reconciliation and Recovery of Stamp Duties Revenue, Muhammadu Gudaji Kazaure.

The speaker spoke to State House reporters yesterday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Kazaure had said Buhari secretly constituted the committee to recover the purportedly trapped N89trn stamp duties; the claim a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, had dismissed.

Asked if he discussed the Kazaure’s issue with Buhari, Gbajabiamila said: “Kazaure, from my understanding, he is working with whoever he is working with. If it necessitates the house coming in, we will come in. If he has an official function, he should go ahead and do his work. But this has nothing to do with National Assembly. Not that I know of….

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“It was not based on a resolution of the National Assembly. It was not based on a motion from the National Assembly, I believe he said he had the executive authority to do what he’s doing. If that’d be the case, I mean, then it’s got nothing to do with the National Assembly.”

On whether the House would call Kazaure to order, the speaker said: “The House can only call Kazaure to order to the extent that it is impugning on the integrity of the House or individuals or leadership of the House that have nothing to do with what he is doing.”