Jonathan Considers House Request on Security Briefing

President Goodluck Jonathan is considering the request by the House of Representatives for a briefing on efforts being made by his administration to stop the wave of bomb attacks by Boko Haram insurgents in some sections of the North.

According to sources in the presidency, Jonathan has received a letter from the House requesting an interface with the president and his security team on the security challenge in the North and the country in general.

The sources said Monday that the president was considering the request, which specifies no period within which Jonathan should appear before the House with his security team, and would soon contact the House on when it would be convenient for him to honour the invitation.

"Contrary to the general impression that the president was summoned to appear before the House of Representatives, the letter from the House asked for an interface with the president on the management of security matters in the country.

"It is not a summons. The president cannot be summoned. He has immunity. The letter asked the president to appear before the House of Representatives with his security chiefs in a closed-door session at his convenience," one of the sources disclosed.

He added that the letter from the House, which was received last week, simply asked the president to come to the House for an interface with the lawmakers.

He said the interface, which the lawmakers are seeking, would be similar to the one the president had with the Senate in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he gave details on how his administration was managing the present security challenge in Northern Nigeria.

"The president will come to the House of Representatives at his own time, it is not a summons, and he cannot be summoned because he has immunity," an official in the presidency explained.

It was also gathered Monday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, was already making the necessary moves to ensure that the meeting between the president and the House would help to improve the testy relationship between the two arms of government.

A PDP source said Tukur would soon meet with the members of the PDP caucus in the House to smoothen the rough edges before the president appears before the lawmakers.

Tukur last weekend commenced moves to persuade the House to rescind its decision to make the president appear before it on the state of insecurity in the North, on the premise that the party believes the House's decision might send wrong signals on the relationship between the legislature and the presidency.

In this regard, Tukur visited the State House where he met some principal aides of the president on the matter.

He also directed his Special Adviser on the National Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Gumel, to reach out to some of the lawmakers to find an amicable resolution to the impasse caused by the House's summons.

Tukur was said to hold the view that since the House is dominated by PDP lawmakers, there was a need to interface with both sides to nip the situation in the bud and improve the relationship between the House and the presidency.

A source, quoting Tukur said: "The presidency and the National Assembly are children of the same parents - the PDP - therefore, there should be no antagonism between both children of the same parents."

According to the source, the party would not stand by and see the relationship between the National Assembly and presidency deteriorate, given that the party controls both arms of government.