On Tuesday, I hurriedly left the plenary for one of the committee rooms, where the House of Representatives Committee on National Intelligence and Public Safety was billed to hold an investigative hearing.  Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), during the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, was scheduled to appear before the committee.

The Committee chaired by Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji is investigating how millions of dollars belonging to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) allegedly grew wings and flew away from the coffers of the agency. The NIA saga had claimed the former boss of the agency, Ayo Oke in what has come to be known as Ikoyi-gate.

The Committee summoned the erstwhile SGF, who once aspired to be president of the country in the botched third republic, to appear before it on that fateful day. In a letter addressed to the SGF, the Committee had lamented that the former presidential aspirant was treating it with scorn.

According to the letter with reference number; NASS/HR/8/CT.80/IV/326 and dated January 30, 2018, “The Committee frowns at the non-appearance of the Chairman and members of the Presidential Review Panel headed by Amb. Babagana Kingibe.” Therefore, ascending the stairs leading to the fourth floor of the new House of Representatives New Building, one was really sure of what to expect.

However, I zeroed my mind on two possible scenarios that could likely play out. One, Kingibe would probably fail to appear before the Committee and the Committee Chair would read the riot act or maybe threaten him with arrest warrant.

Scenario two: the former scribe to government would appear and the committee would give him a dress down publicly, for “treating parliament with scorn’; with Kingibe being intimidated by members of the committee, to the extent of the former diplomat pleading for mercy.

In anticipation of either of the scenarios; I had prepared two different headlines in my mind, in readiness of the materials to build my story.  Surprisingly, there was a twist as I got to the venue. Behold, the former SGF was there live and direct, but it turned out that he succeeded in swaying the committee to conduct the investigative hearing on his own terms.  Kingibe who was accompanied to the event by members of his team expressed misgivings at the presence of journalists and insisted that he wanted them out to give room for unfettered deliberations; and also stop an alleged plot to ridicule him. How it happened; one might not really tell; but the committee obviously in deference to him, asked House Correspondents to vacate the hearing room, for lawmakers to engage the August visitors in camera.

In as much as it is not unusual for issues relating to security to be discussed behind closed door in the House, my thinking in this instance, which I hold strongly, was that the Committee chair originally wanted the public to be part of the assignment of his committee. This may have given vent to the public announcement of the invitation summoning the former SGF.  What I still don’t understand is why a committee that made such noise about a public hearing and even invited the media to cover it was eventually cowed into sitting in camera.

The summon of the former SGF is no doubt part of the many dramas, some of the lawmakers treat the public to, from time to time; a clear case of showmanship, grandstanding or playing to the gallery, if you like.  The Kingibe issue reminds one of an ad-hoc committee chaired by Hon Adekunle Akinlade some time ago. In the course of the investigation, the committee decided to summon the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hammed Ali (retd) to appear before it in respect to insurance premium paid by agency.

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At the first summon, Ali did not appear neither did he sent a representatives. And the Committee gave him another date to appear. At the adjourned date, he was represented by a Deputy Comptroller of Customs. Infuriated by the development, Akinlade said the CG must appear willy nilly. At a point, Akinlade threatened that if Ali fails to appear before it on a particular date, a warrant of arrest would be issued against him. 

I am not aware that the Customs boss ever appeared before the Akinlade-led ad-hoc committee. The entire issue just fizzled out.  So, when next you hear of a House Committee issuing a summon to an almighty government official, don’t be too excited.  It may just be a play to the gallery.

I don’t understand why most federal legislators are given to so much politics  and play to the gallery in almost everything.  Many times on the floor, you hear lawmakers make contributions on  issues based on politics not on  the merit of the discourse.  Methinks that it is not fair to the tax payers, that very sensitive national issues are reduced to politics and sentiments. A case in point is the recent amnesty allegedly granted some persons declared wanted by the Rivers State Security Council, for their alleged involvement in the killing of 23 persons in Omoku, by the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha.

It is unfortunate that debate on such a sensitive motion was stalled by politics, when the matter came up for discourse during the week. Starting from a point of order from Hon Nnanna Igbokwe on the propriety of the motion to the contribution made by Femi Gbajabiamila, everything was pure politics.

I doubt if Igbokwe, who recently joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have made the same intervention on the amnesty debate, if he was still on the other side of the divide.

Granted that the body of the motion might have been considered offensive to members of the APC, the least Igbokwe and the House leader could have done is to ask for the removal of the offensive part.

Trying to play politics with the death of the Omoku 23 was tantamount to dancing on their grave.  One thing no one should play politics with is security, especially the sanctity of human life. Instead of Igbokwe and others trying to rationalise the action of Okorocha, the least they should have done was condemn the fact that some fugitives, who allegedly murdered fellow Nigerians were being aided to escape justice under the cloak of amnesty.

Anyway, it may just have been driven by sheer comradeship, afterall, there is no written rule that one should not rise in defence of his governor or party man, especially in an election year. So, call it ‘paddy paddy’, it was politics at work.