Abia North Senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, has called on the Senate to take action against ministers’ attitude to invitations from committee chairmen.
Orji Uzo Kalu stated this on Thursday, while speaking on a motion moved by Senator Osita Ngwu, Enugu West, concerning the refusal of Julius Berger to honour invitations.
Kalu said the refusal of Julius Berger to honour committee invitations had been a pattern for most ministers and heads of departments, agencies and parastatals of the federal government.
He demanded that the Senate take decisive action against ministers, heads of government agencies, parastatals and individuals who refuse to honour committee invitations.
Particularly, the former governor of Abia State demanded that the Senate open a performance record for all ministers and heads of government agencies.
His words: “I was there in the meeting, Julius Berger refused to come. They have been doing it in the nine Senate Most people summon Julius Berger they refuse to come. I urge this Senate to punish them. They cannot be doing this. If they are a construction company, they must listen to the parliament. It’s not only Julius Berger.
“Even some of our ministers are not accessible to the committees. And they will insult our chairman. And they will insult people working in the Senate. You will invite a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Some of them will not listen to the chairman of your committee, Mr. President. And enough is enough.
“We should query these ministers and ask Mr. President to drop them. How can a chairman of a committee be looking for a minister for two, three days, four days? They will not answer phone. So they are doing the same thing Julius Beggar is doing.
“We are protected under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution as amended. We cannot be taking this. This is a parliament. Unless they want us to be a study area. We become a study area. We are lawmakers. And they should respect this place.
“It’s not only Julius Berger. It’s also your ministers and DGs. The chairman of parastatals, including some of the federal government, parastatals, the chairman has been telling me I will go for a committee meeting. I expect to see a minister. The minister will not come. And I’m not the chairman. I can’t do anything.
“The parliament will put a performance record for all the ministers. We must report to the commander-in-chief. Because we are not here for jokes, Mr. President. It is annoying that you will send us to do something and we’ll be looking for a minister.
“That is not good, Mr. President. We have to use our powers. Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to voice how I feel this morning. I feel like fighting, but I can’t fight. Thank you very much, Mr. President.”