Again, Reps deputy spokesperson reacts to Gbajabiamila’s visit to MDAs

The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has said the recent tour by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to some agencies of government should not be conflated with the oversight function reserved by the constitution for the National Assembly.

Mr Agbese said the former speaker cannot take over the oversight duties of the federal parliament, even as chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu.

He stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking on the recent tour by Mr Gbajabiamila, a former member of the House, to some MDAs.

Mr Gbajabiamila recently visited the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the National Emergency Management Agency, the National Hajj Commission, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority, the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure.

Earlier, Mr Agbese had spoken to a national daily, where he was quoted as saying there was nothing wrong with the visits. The comment attracted backlash from Nigerians.

In a bid to set the record straight, Mr Agbese said his former colleague’s actions should not be conflated with the National Assembly’s oversight power.

“I did not say that the Chief of Staff to Mr President, Mr Gbajabiamila, can oversee government agencies and parastatals. That role can only be played by the National Assembly.”

“Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provide for the power of the National Assembly to investigate the performance of any person or body charged with the responsibility of executing the laws enacted by the parliament.”

The lawmaker also said that Mr Gbajabiamila is at liberty to visit government agencies as part of the executive arm. However, he added that such visits cannot replace the parliament’s oversight duties.

“What I told the press is that the visit of the Chief of Staff, as part of the executive arm, is acceptable, but when it is called an oversight, it conflicts with the Constitution. Courtesy visits are in order, but they should not be seen as oversight.”

Earlier Comment

Mr Agbese had initially said Mr Gbajabiamila is at liberty to visit an executive establishment in the discharge of his role as an appointee of Mr President.

“What the Right Honourable Chief of Staff to Mr President is doing is not in any way in conflict with our mandate as a parliament. On our part, we encourage routine supervisory checks by members of the executive in their duties over agencies and departments that are directly under their control.

“Those visits are valuable because they provide firsthand information about the state of these agencies, which is often lacking. Our Right Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, being a product of the parliament, has demonstrated that institutional memory is crucial for the transformation of this country.

“By conducting these visits, the chief of staff is ensuring that the executive branch is fully informed about the activities and challenges of the agencies under its control. This can only be beneficial for the country’s overall governance,” Mr Agbese had said.