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Budget Defence Session Erupts into Crisis as Lawmakers Clash Over IGP’s Presentation

Published by Tope Fakinlede on January 17th, 2025.

Budget Defence Session Erupts into Crisis as Lawmakers Clash Over IGP’s Presentation

A budget defence session between the Joint Police Affairs Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives and the Nigeria Police Force, led by Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun, turned chaotic yesterday, resulting in a heated confrontation among lawmakers.

The dispute began during the IGP’s presentation on the police force’s proposed 2025 budget. Tensions flared when Egbetokun outlined plans for the construction of five zonal police headquarters. Mark Essiet, a member of the House of Representatives from Akwa Ibom, interrupted the IGP, pointing out discrepancies between the details of his presentation and the official document provided to the committee.

Senator Onyekachi Nwoebonyi from Ebonyi North, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), supported Essiet’s concerns and demanded that the IGP provide the accurate documents to all lawmakers. Nwoebonyi emphasized the need for transparency, saying, “As a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I should have access to the same documents the IGP is using. The differences in what’s being presented are unacceptable.”

He further argued for adherence to parliamentary procedure, stressing that lawmakers should vote based on rules, not emotions. Nwoebonyi’s demand for order and clarity was rejected by most of the committee members. Subsequently, Committee Chairman Abdulhamid Ahmed ruled him out of order, allowing the IGP to continue his presentation.

Frustrated, Nwoebonyi left the session, exchanging words with some House members who mocked him as he exited.

After the commotion subsided, Yusuf Gagdi, a senior member of the House and Chairman of the House Navy Committee, defended the committee’s decision. He explained that parliamentary rules dictated that members should not interject without being recognized by the chairman, supporting the decision to let Egbetokun proceed with his address.

In his presentation, the IGP highlighted the severe underfunding of the police force, calling for the removal of the police from the “envelope” budget system to secure more reliable and adequate funding. He also announced that President Bola Tinubu had approved an increase in the annual recruitment quota from 10,000 to 30,000 officers, a move intended to enhance the police force’s capacity to tackle security challenges across the nation.

“We are hopeful that with this increase in recruitment, the police will be better positioned to meet the growing demands of national security,” Egbetokun remarked.