The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, has said that the House is not running a secret cult.

He explained on Tuesday that the House was one to anybody seeking information on any subject of public interest.

The speaker added that the House was “transparent” in its affairs, saying that it was open to scrutiny by members of the public.

He spoke at a session with journalists, where he lamented that the House had been unfairly criticised over the years by the public.

But, the Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, held a contrary view.

Gbajabiamila argued that despite passing the Freedom of Information Act in 2011, accessing public information was still a herculean task for members of the public and journalists.

The speaker complained that the public was only interested in attacking the legislature but cared less about the challenges before the lawmakers.

Tambuwal spoke further, “We are not running a secret cult in the House; we are very transparent.

“Approach us for any information and we shall make it available. The legislature is receiving a lot of bashing from the public, but we have our limitations.

“I urge the public to appreciate our constraints. Some believe that we are just an appendage of the Executive, but that is not the case. Without the legislature, you cannot have a democratic government.”

He called for “factual” reporting by the media for a “better Nigeria.”

On his part, Gbajabiamila hailed the media for being the “strength” of the opposition in democracy.

He asked journalists to be resolute in their search for the truth.

“Information is power, and the power of our electorate lies in the quality of information at their disposal.

“I urge the press to always challenge any attempt to gag it and continue to speak or in your case, report truth to power.”