Trouble looms for Minister of Information and Communication, Labaran Maku, over his alleged remarks, which the Senate views as disparaging.
To underscore the brewing discord the Senate yesterday summoned him(Maku) to appear before it on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 to offer explanations regarding some comments credited to him.
Chairman, Senate Committee on information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, issued the summon in a letter addressed to Maku.
The tarse letter entitled “Re: Invitation to a meeting with the Committee”read in part “You are invited to a meeting with the Committee on crucial national issue. Honourable Minister, please treat as urgent.”
However, sources disclosed that “the uncouth and disparaging manner that Maku deployed to describe Senate resolutions as a mere advice which are not binding on the President” was unbecoming of the minister and one that suggest strongly that the executive wants to pick a fight with the legislature.
It could be recalled that the Senate and the Presidency are hotly engaged in a seeming cold war over the non implementation Senate resolutions.
The Minister was reported to have told journalists that the resolution of the Senate urging President Goodluck Jonathan to halt all processes leading to the printing and issuing of N5000 bank note was not binding on President Jonathan.