Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Aminu Tambuwal Tuesday drove himself to
the National Assembly without his security
details following the withdrawal of same by
the Police.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman
Abba, had last week ordered that the
policemen attached to the office of the
Speaker be withdrawn.
According to a statement issued by the Force
spokesman, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, the action
was due to Tambuwal’s defection from the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All
Progressives Congress (APC).
Tambuwal did not have his security details,
but he was accompanied by APC lawmakers
who shielded him all through his stay.
According to reports, the Speaker was said
to be at NASS to declare open two public
hearings slated for 11am and 12noon
respectively. One of the public hearing was
jointly organised by the House Committees
on Public Account and Justice, on a bill to
repeal the nation’s Audit Act of 1956 urged
financial experts to support an audit act, to
facilitate international best practices and
assist to eliminate corruption from the
financial system.
Tambuwal, while speaking at the hearing
noted that Nigeria must align with modern
trend in digital auditing.
According to him, the extant Audit Act of
about 60 years ago did not give the Office of
the Accountant-General of the Federation the
required instrument to fight corruption.
He however said that the new act, when
passed into law, would create Audit Service
Commission that would enable Office of the
Auditor General of the Federation to
restructure auditing practice in the country.
Meanwhile, several groups and individuals
have condemned the withdrawal of the
speaker’s security details, saying it was
against the law.
While the controversy about the speaker’s
defection continues, the House of
Representatives will not reconvene until
December 3, and if there will be a vote as
regards a possible removal, it will not happen
until then.
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