Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Productivity, has thrown a jibe at Abiodun James Faleke, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, describing the lawmaker as “a small boy in Lagos”.
Ngige taunted Faleke, the lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, during an investigative hearing by the House over the sack of top management and executive committee members of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
The minister, who is a former senator, had questioned the level of questioning by the federal lawmakers over his decision to dismiss the NSITF management for allegedly misappropriating N48 billion.
In a remarkable exchange of barbs, Ngige told the lawmakers that he was older than all of them except for Faleke, who might be his age mate.
Faleke immediately responded, saying: “I am 60 plus.”
Ngige retorted, saying that he was seven years older than Faleke and age mate with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, who the former referred to as the latter’s political mentor.
But Faleke did not back down, shouting that Tinubu won his governorship election for two terms; an apparent dig at Ngige, whose 2003 Anambra governorship election victory was voided in 2005 and 2006 by the courts.
Ngige returned the favour and mocked Faleke for failing in his attempt to become Kogi State Governor, saying: “No problem about that. Just like you won your own in Kogi State very well. And you are now the deputy governor and governor of Kogi State.”
He went further, describing himself as an elite Lagos boy who lives in the Victoria Island area of the state and Faleke as a “small boy” from Kogi State living in Mushin.
The minister said he will continue to throw jibes at the lawmaker, adding: “Look at this boy. Mushin boy is talking to a VI boy? I live in Victoria Island. Look at Mushin boy, from Kogi o!”
See below the video of the encounter between Ngige and Faleke:
Source: Channels Television
