Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal yesterday declared that he was not above the law, despite the protocol and privileges his office enjoys.
Tambuwal spoke while addressing his colleagues on Monday’s incident where security operatives stopped his motorcade and searched his official car.
The incident occurred at the entrance to Hotel 17, Kaduna, venue of an International Conference on Security and Development: Challenges of Pastoralism in West and Central Africa, organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.The speaker stated that though he was not against to scrutiny or screening by “constituted authorities”, he expected to enjoy some protocol and privilege as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“I want to state that I am not above the law. As recently as last week Wednesday when I was travelling to Paris, I subjected myself to screening by staff of the Air France here at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,” he said.
“My luggage was requested to be searched, and I obliged them; I gave them my luggage. My physical person was frisked, and I allowed that to happen without any resistance. That is to show everyone that I am not averse to being subjected to scrutiny or screening by constituted authorities.
“The difference between that and what happened in Kaduna is the fact that I was expected to enjoy some protocol and privilege as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, moreso, from the authorities established by law.
“No one out there should have any impression that any of us here in the House of Representatives or in the National Assembly is above the law; that is not the message we are sending.”
Meanwhile, the House detailed it’s joint Committees on Defence, Army, Police, Interior, Public Safety and National Security to probe the incident. The committees were directed to submit their report in one week.
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