Corruption in House of Representative: Leader of Progressive in House of Representative Hon. Dino Melayi submitting petition and other document to Chairperson of EFCC Mrs Farida Waziri for investigation into activities of Speaker Dimeji Bankole and others at National Assembly Abuja yesterday. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

***Vanguard photo-journalist, others attacked

The crisis rocking the House of Representatives recorded a parliamentary disaster yesterday as it resorted to use of brutal force in dragging some of its members out of chamber for allegedly violating its rules. 

The eleven members who had raised allegations of  financial misuse against Speaker Dimeji Bankole and the leadership of the House, were hit with indefinite suspension but was later converted to a suspension that would last till the end of the new session ending June, 2011.

Leader of Progressive Members Hon. Dino Melaye attacked by His Colleagues during Fracas at National Assembly Abuja.

Those so suspended were Dino Melaye, Ehiogie West Idahosa, Independence Ogunewe, Solomon Awhinawi, Austin Nwachukwu and Abbas Anas.

Others were Gbenga Oduwaiye, Kayode Amusan, Gbenga Onigbogi, Bitrus Kaze and Doris Uboh.

At exactly 11.10 am when Bankole led other principal officers into the chamber, it was clear from the mood of the House that something unusual was about to happen.

Bankole quickly rushed through the announcements of the day and called on Representative Chile Igbaua( a PDP member from Benue State ) to move the motion that eventually culminated in the chaotic moment that characterised the suspension.

But just as Igbaua was beginning to read out the motion that had been type written, a shout of point of order was heard. It was the voice of the leader of the group of eleven lawmakers who had dragged Bankole and other leaders of the House to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, Representative Dino Melaye.

Melaye’s outburst produced instantaneous outbreak of disorderliness and chaos.

Representative Awhinawi had moved straight to grab the mace when security men quickly rushed in to prevent him from seizing the mace.

At this point lawmakers loyal to the speaker descended on Awhinawi and made him to live the chamber with a bleeding nose.

During the confusion that reigned Bankole had adjourned the House proceedings till today but was practically prevented by his supporters from leaving the chamber.

Hon Doris Uboh been dragged out from the Chamber on the order of Speaker Bankole

As he went back to his seat, he read out the names of the eleven members and declared that they have been placed on an indefinite suspension.

But the Dino-Melaye lawmakers remained in chambers still protesting. Bankole then ordered that they should be taken out by security men.

Even before the security men could carry out the speaker’s order, other members of the House took it upon themselves to execute that order.

Five of the eleven members of the Melaye group who refused to leave chamber were physically beaten and dragged out of chamber with tattered clothes by fellow lawmakers who were loyal to the House leadership.

Worse still, Representative Chinyere Igwe, in the course of the struggle to force the suspended lawmakers out of chamber got one of his arms broken as an aggrieved Austin Nwachukwu, one of the suspended members, pounced on him, lifted him up and hit him on the floor violently

Three journalists, Wole Oladimeji of the Compass Newspapers, Rotimi Akinwumi of the Daily Independent Newspapers and Gbemiga Olamikan of the Vanguard Newspapers were beaten, taken out of the gallery and detained by a combined force of the State Security Service and the Policemen attached to the Speaker and his Deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada. Their cameras and cell phones were seized too.

It took the sudden protest by other journalists to secure the release of their detained colleagues.

But Bankole, sensing the possible public reaction to the unruly conduct displayed during yesterday’s proceedings, quickly tendered an apology to Nigerians over what he admittedly described as “the rowdiness in the House today”. Full details in tomorrow’s Vanguard.

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