Leaked memo reveals how Service Chiefs sent debate questions to Reps Members to avoid embarrassment
The communication before to the session was intended to save both federal legislators and security chiefs from "embarrassment" during the interaction.
The Service Chief and the Inspector General of Police have exchanged a seven-page security sector brief with members of the House of Representatives, which includes the discussion topics to be posed at today’s interactive session.
According to the document “Guiding Questions for Hon Members on Security Sector Brief” received by SaharaReporters on Tuesday morning, the leader of the house committee, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, is due to open the floor of the session.
“Assess how your agency is doing in terms of effective implementation of your mandate? Identify specific areas of challenges and speak to how the National Assembly can assist,” would read the opening question by Ihonvbere.
Thereafter, Bello Kumo, the Chief Whip would ask the second question, “How efficiently are the armed forces and police in achieving their mandate (in terms of time and cost) on the scale of 1-5, 1 being bad and 5 being very good? Give reasons for your answer.”
A top source in the National Assembly who shared the security brief with SaharaReporters stated that the communication ahead of the session was to save both the federal lawmakers and the security chiefs from “embarrassment” during the interaction.
“These are expos reportedly sent by service chiefs to the NASS so they won’t be embarrassed,” he revealed.
Last week, SaharaReporters revealed that the House of Representatives was enraged by the absence of the service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, from an interactive session slated for last Thursday during plenary.
Instead, the security heads dispatched representatives.
The House had arranged a sectoral debate with security leaders last week, as it had planned to do with other sectors of the country.
Following a constitutional point of order raised by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the House rejected the security heads’ representation and instead postponed the session.
The engagement has been rescheduled for Tuesday next week after the House insisted on the military chiefs’ attendance.
General Christopher Musa is the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar is the Chief of Air Staff (CAS); and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla is the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).
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(Credit: Sahara Reporters)