The Senate on Tuesday ordered Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, to appear before its Committee on Human Rights, Judiciary and Legal Matters, before the end of this week.

Senate Chairman of the Committee, Senator David Umaru, during his personal explanation on Tuesday plenary, raised a Point of Order on the earlier refusal of the Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to appear before the committee.

Umaru finally cleared the air while explaining that he had received information from the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, that the Minister and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) regretted their inability to appear before the Senate Committee during the time scheduled.

Umaru added that senator Enang has been in touch with him on behalf of the duo, saying that both of them are however, requesting for more time from the Senate before they appear.

Also yesterday, the Senate urged the Federal Government to immediately enter into serious negotiations with states and come up with effective and urgent interventions to address payment of teachers’ salaries across the country.

In a motion sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi), the Senate said the situation whereby teachers are yet to receive salaries in some cases for upwards of five months or more is worrisome and unacceptable.

Senator Melaye maintained that “though basic education is a concurrent issue on the legislative list, the present condition of backlog of unpaid salaries demands a concerted action from the Federal Government to avert a total collapse of the education system in the country.”

According to him, what is on ground amounts to a national emergency that requires drastic measures to arrest, noting that teacher's welfare is at the heart of the success of the education system in any society.

He urged the FG to send to the National Assembly a budget supplementary or virements proposal that would enable the transfer of funds legitimately in order to arrest the growing challenge.

Melaye also tasked the states to immediately begin the implementation of a priority expenditure scheme that puts the payment of teacher’s salaries at the same wrung on public expenditure as security

•Photo shows AGF Abubakar Malami (SAN).

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