The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to invite President Muhammadu Buhari over the ‘ongoing unwanton killings’ and destruction of property by bandits and kidnappers in most North Western states of the country.
While calling on the federal government to urgently deploy soldiers to the affected areas, the lawmakers also asked the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to ensure the provision of relief materials to victims of the attacks.
The resolutions followed an amendment to a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance by Ahmed Safana (APC, Katsina), and seconded by Gabriel Onyewife (PDP, Anambra).
Tagged the “need for government intervention on the ongoing unwanton killings by bandits and kidnappers in Safana/Batsari Federal Constituency of Katsina State,” the lawmaker had sought the declaration of state of emergency in the affected areas.
However, after an extensive debate on the matter, a request by Danburam Nuhu (PDP, Kano), that the state of emergency be extended to the whole of North West region, was overruled by majority voice votes.
But Ali Madaki (PDP, Kano) urged that “this man” should be invited by the lawmakers to explain why the killings have continued unabated, to which Speaker Yakubu Dogara corrected him by inserting “Mr. President.”
When put to voice vote, majority of the lawmakers supported that President Buhari should be invited to disclose measures being taken by his government to curtail the ongoing killings in various parts of the country, especially in the North West.
“It is the constitutional duty of lawmakers to take action whenever brutal and inhuman attacks are being inflicted on any community or group of people of this country,” Dogara said while passing the motion to invite the president.
Yet, no official date was slated for the appearance of the president before the Lower Chamber.
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