Niger Delta Renaissance Coalition, has condemned the statement credited to Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), where it called for the disbandment of both the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC overseeing the committees in both chambers of the National Assembly to enable any form of forensic audits of the interventionist commission in the heavily neglected crude oil producing states of the Niger Delta Region and the accusations of bribery and financial inducements leveled against the National Assembly by the Interim Management Committee of the Commission to be holistically investigated and the indicted persons arrested, prosecuted and punished by the competent Court of law.

The group in a statement signed by its Director of Research and Strategy, Damian Nwikinaka, cautioned HURIWA, enlightening it of the duties of the National Assembly.

Read the full statement bellow:

“We wish to alert Nigerians and all lovers of democracy, which thrives on the principle and doctrine of separation of powers, that this new assault on the integrity and independence of the legislature is another subterfuge of the open challenge, by the IMC, of the legitimacy of the National Assembly.

“This unprecedented act of lies, propaganda, and blackmail by HURIWA which borders on treason challenges the integrity of our constitutional democracy; and seeks to rubbish the National Assembly’s independence and its co-equal status to the executive arm of Government by its call on President Buhari to suspend the Committees of both Houses of the National Assembly.

“May we remind HURIWA and other hirelings groups of the IMC that under the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) the National Assembly is empowered to oversight activities of the executive branch of government including all ministries departments and agencies. It is not a right that can be abridged or subsumed under the executive branch.

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“In particular, Section 88 (1) of the constitution (as amended), confers on the National Assembly the power to “direct or cause to be directed investigation into – (a) any matter or thing with respect to which it has power to make laws, and (b) the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged, or intended to be charged, with the duty of or responsibility for – (i) executing or administering laws enacted by National Assembly, and (ii) disbursing or administering moneys appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly.” This is why the National Assembly has a responsibility to investigate the books of NDDC where IMC has been accused of misappropriating the sum of N40 billion so appropriated.

“That the IMC, which by the way is not known to the law setting up NDDC, has leveled allegations against the Committees of the National Assembly does not therefore obviate from the constitutional empowerment of the legislature to exercise its oversight functions.

“HURIWA which has chosen to cry louder than the bereaved, and its pay masters, IMC, have the nation’s anti-corruption agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC to run to and make their formal cases rather than the resort to threats, lies, abuses, and blackmail of the National Assembly thereby trying to sabotage the constitutionally guaranteed oversight function of the legislature.

“We also wish to remind HURIWA that the principle of checks and balances in our constitutional democracy is that each branch of government is independent and any difference between both arms is resolved by the courts as the final arbiter. This principle induces one branch to prevent either of the other branches from becoming supreme, thereby securing political liberty.

“It is the sanctity of the doctrine of separation of powers that is the crux of the matter and why HURIWA must be challenged and exposed for what they stand for, which for all intents and purposes jeorpadises the nation’s democratic journey.

“HURIWA needs reminding that the investigation being carried out is in the natural line of duty of the National Assembly made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“What HURIWA is doing is to distort the object of the probe; divert attention from the allegations against the IMC, seek to damage the integrity of the National Assembly and hurt our constitutional democracy.

We will therefore not condone this and we urge the National Assembly and all Nigerians to stand firm and reject, once again, this cheap blackmail that the likes of HURIWA have made their stock in trade. “

Vanguard