Reps may reconvene for emergency session over Naira scarcity – Gbajabiamila

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said on Sunday the lower legislative chamber would be forced to reconvene for plenary if the current naira notes persist.

The National Assembly had last month adjourned plenary till February 28 to enable the lawmakers to take part in their parties’ campaigns ahead of this month’s elections.

Nigerians have been keeping vigil at banks and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) posts since last week as the scarcity of the currency notes hits many homes across the country.

Gbajabiamila, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, stated this at a town hall meeting with some ethnic groups in the Surulere area of Lagos State.

He said the House would continue to closely monitor the implementation of the policy, following its meeting with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on the matter.

The speaker said: “The House of Representatives intervened on several occasions. We summoned the CBN governor the first time and again, but he refused to answer because we had many hard questions for him.

“It was until I issued the threat of a warrant of arrest that he came. And I would have signed that warrant; it would’ve been the first time in the history of the National Assembly that a CBN governor would be arrested. I would’ve done it.

“Many have argued on the independence of CBN – the autonomy of CBN.

“That does not make CBN above the law. The Constitution gives the House the power to issue an arrest warrant against anyone; we can summon anybody and that was exactly what the House was going to do until the CBN governor came.

“So, we are watching, and we are monitoring very closely. If need be, we will reconvene the House. Although we have all been away for our elections, I will call the House back if need be.”

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