By Okey Ndiribe,  Asst. Political Editor

What could be aptly described as  the Nigerian orchestra was on  display  at Abuja during the inauguration of  the Seventh National Assembly last Monday.

The orchestra –  an amalgam of different  musical  groups- dished out a cacophony of tunes at the grounds of the Federal Legislature.

As the drummers and flutists played their instruments, some  members of the various  groups that had trooped to the National Assembly to witness the event of the day  and express  solidarity  with the newly elected  law-makers danced under the scorching sun.

Many of  the groups were made up of gaily dressed supporters wearing t-shirts with inscriptions of various law-makers representing  constituencies across the country.

A group of women  came all the way from  Imo State to  felicitate with Hon. Jones Onyeri  the law-maker representing    Nkwerre/Isu / Nwangele/Njaba Federal constituency at the House of Representatives during the inauguration.
One of the women who identified herself simply as Joy said they had  travelled with  three luxury buses to the FCT.

There were so many similar groups of party supporters  that milled around the grounds of the National Assembly waiting patiently for their principals to meet them at the end of the inauguration ceremony.

The day provided many petty traders within the Federal Capital Territory an opportunity  to do brisk business with the large influx of people from all parts of the country into Abuja.  Road side  food sellers  popularly called mama -put were available as they  served  hot plates of rice to waiting customers. Hawkers of sachet water popularly called pure-water and the bottled variety were also present in large numbers. A bottle of  small Eva Water  was sold for N100, while a portrait of President Goodluck Jonathan sold for N2,500.

Even the surroundings of the nearby Eagle Square were also besieged by petty traders selling various items by the side-walk nearby streets.    The items on sale included textile materials, various types of  footwear and other  leather  products, hats and  traditional medicines.

Photographers also had a field day as they stood at street corners where they got patronage from  the large number of invitees who had trooped to the area to witness the event.

While  some of the invitees danced and made merry,  the intense heat of the day notwithstanding, others protested against the tight security arrangement  which prevented them from having access into the  Public Gallery  of the National Assembly.

One of such invitees was Mohammed Waziri , a member of the Congress for Progressive Change  (CPC) who hailed from Bauchi State. He told Saturday Vanguard that he was in the FCT to solidarise with Senator Shuaibu Gebi who had just been elected into the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.  He expressed disappointment that he could not have access into the Public Gallery to observe the proceedings of the inauguration ceremony.
Said he: “It wasn’t like this during the inauguration of the sixth National Assembly which I also attended. This was in 2007 when Senator  Bala Mohammed , the former Minister of Federal Capital Territory was sworn in as a member of the Lower House. At that time,  Senator Mohammed even came and  addressed  his supporters after the inauguration ceremony.”
He further stated that those who organized the ceremony should have allowed invitees access into the inner chamber of the Federal Legislature to witness the event.  Waziri  also called  on the federal law-makers to remember the plight of the masses while  in office.
“They should not forget the orphans and widows in their various constituencies” he said.
This view was shared by another invitee who spoke to Saturday Vanguard. Yakubu Tuna who hailed from Plateau state said he travelled to the FCT to witness the swearing in of Joshua Dariye- the former Governor of  Plateau State – into the Upper House.
Said he: “Dariye was elected to represent Plateau Central in the Senate; that is why those of us  who are his supporters  have come to witness this occasion.”
For him it did not matter that invitees to the event had to endure the  heat of the blazing  sun.
“Even though  we had to wait for our Senator  under the sun, it does not matter ; this is the sacrifice we have to make  in order  demonstrate our commitment to  Chief Dariye,” he said.
He called on President Jonathan to advise the law-makers not to forget the  masses during their tenure.
He continued: “ Even when they are paid their constituency allowances, they should remember the masses  while spending it” .
He further stated that what had been causing problem in Plateau State was that law-makers  from  the state  always kept all their  allowances to themselves.    “I will advise the government to do something about legislators who don’t take care of members of their constituency” he said.     Yakubu Ogalababuchi, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  from Nassarawa State partly agreed with him.
He said he attended the event to rejoice with Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the former Governor  of  Nassarawa State on his swearing in as a Senator.
Said he: “I don’t really care about the heat of the sun so long as I am here to show my honour to my political mentor who is Adamu”.
He continued: “Even though he wants me to accompany him to somewhere under the sea, I would be ready to embark on the journey with him”.
Speaking on how  Adamu emerged as a Senator , he was full of praises for the conduct  of last April’s general elections.
Said he: “ Adamu emerged as a Senator  during  the last  general elections which was conducted in a very credible manner”.
Another invitee to the occasion who gave his name as Alhaji Bolaji Ganiyu, a member of the Action congress of Nigeria (ACN ) from Lagos State  said he was full of optimism that the 7th National Assembly would usher progress in the nation.
He said he was in the FCT to demonstrate his unalloyed support to Hon. Wale Olatunde Jimoh who had just been elected into the Lower  House to represent Apapa Federal constituency. He  expressed  his  thanks to God for preserving the nation. He also  congratulated  President Goodluck Jonathan for his victory during the last elections.
Commenting on the tight security arrangement at the National Assembly, he remarked that members of his group had been forwarned about the stringent security measures  that were put in place on that day.
Said he: “ Even before we arrived Abuja, we were told by Hon. Jimoh that we would not be allowed access  into the inner chamber of the Federal Legislature but we did not mind. We had the option of staying in the hotel where we  lodged or go  and  wait around the National Assembly until the end of the ceremony”.
He told Saturday Vanguard that members of their group would be hosted  at a party organized by Hon. Jimoh later  that day.
Hon. Jimoh’s Personal Assistant Salawu Ganiyu shared some of  Bolaji’s views.  He said he believed that that the reason why  various groups that were invited for the event were not allowed access inside  was because of the security arrangements that were put in place by the Federal Government. Said he: “ It might not have been easy if everybody was allowed access into the inner chamber of the National Assembly. “ He wished the seventh National Assembly a successful tenure.