* as Reps set up panel to probe speaker’s embarrassing search
Teddy Oscar, Abuja
In what looked like an act of humility, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on Wednesdaydeclared that that he is not above the law to subject himself to be scrutinised or screened by constituted authorities.
Tambuwal, who was reacting to the incident that led to the stopping and searching of his motorcade in Kaduna last week Monday, however, pointed out that he expected to enjoy some protocol and privilege as the speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria.
“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.
“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 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. More so, from the authorities established by law.
“Several times that I go out of this country, I have been extended courtesies and privileges whereby even my own luggage were not subjected to that because I am the speaker of the House.
“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. What we are talking about is the institution of the legislature and not the individuals that are constituted in the Nigerian legislature. Thank you all for your support, and I thank every Nigerian for their concern on what transpired in Kaduna on Monday,” he declared.
Meanwhile, the House has mandated its joint committees on Defence, Army, Police, Interior, Public Safety and National Security to probe the security operatives’ incident, which stopped and searched official motorcade of the speaker, Tambuwal.
The probe followed a point of order raised by Hon. Ogbuefi Ozombachi, and the committees were directed to submit their report in one week.
Recall that the speaker is the Number Four in protocol hierarchy in the Federation, after the President, Vice-President, and the Senate President.
