President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to members of the national assembly to exercise restraint in summoning heads of ministries, departments, and agencies before their committees.
The president made the appeal while speaking at the breaking of the Ramadan fast on Wednesday, March 20th, 2024, in Abuja alongside the speaker of the house of representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and the leadership of the house.
Tinubu noted that while oversight is essential for maintaining transparency and accountability in governance, excessive summoning of officials can disrupt operations and hinder service delivery to citizens. He, therefore, urged lawmakers to, in the exercise of their oversight functions, use discretion.
Details of the meeting were made available in a statement by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the president appealed to the lawmakers to exercise their constitutional duties but allow the MDAs do theirs too.
“I have been watching various committees summoning ministers and heads of agencies. I have complained to the Speaker about letting the poor breathe. Let these people do the job.
“We are not saying that you are not influential. We are not saying you cannot do your oversight. However, consider the primary duty of each agency, its personnel, or the responsibilities of the Governor of the Central Bank or the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to you and the nation.
“If they are distracted or disturbed, we may shift parliamentary sitting all night. We must find a way to accommodate one another.
“This is an appeal to you. See if you can accept representatives in some instances or even documentation,” the President said.
