The moment angry lawmakers passed vote of no confidence on Buhari's minister

The House of Representatives has passed a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and the Minister of State in the same ministry, Mr. Abubakar Bawa-Bwari.

It was a unanimous vote in the green chamber on both men.

The lawmakers were angrythat Fayemi and Bawa-Bwarirefused to show up at the sectoral debate on the revival of the moribund Ajaokuta steel company.

The sectoral debate held on the morning of Thursday, March 1, 2018.

'Contempt'

The lawmakers said the non-appearance of the ministers was contemptuous and a clear case of executive recklessness.

Hon Femi Gbajabiamila who is majority leader of the House, moved the motion against the ministers.

Gbajabiamila said: “You personally signed the letter to them, unfortunately none of the ministers could sign their reply. Rather, they asked the Permanent Secretary to respond to you, two weeks after.

“The invitation that hasn’t been honoured is a serious contempt. This presentation gives ample opportunity for fair hearing. There are allegations.

"I believe we should take this matter seriously. Whatever we should do here today should be moved to a powerful investigative hearing.

“Steel is probably more than the oil. Whatever we have in this chamber has a touch of steel in it. One of them was part of us here.

“I will personally take it as an assault to the common sense of this country for the two ministers to ignore, pooh-pooh and scorn an invitation of this chamber".

Diversification

Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa said: “At a point when the leadership of the country is talking about diversification of the economy, we have found the gold.

“What we do here is not about you but it’s for and on behalf of the generality of the people of Nigeria. For any minister to undermine an invitation of this House is to say the least unfortunate.

“This is an intervention for us to save this nation from economic quagmire. I want to say that at the end of the sectoral debate, we have to take a decisive action.

“Their absence here simply means that there’s something suspicious – absolutely suspicious. Most of the face-off we face with the Executive is as a result of the attitude of these ministers and the rest.”

The lawmakers are demanding an apology from the ministers. If that doesn’t happen, they won’t pass the budget of the solid minerals ministry, they said.