By Simon Ebegbulem, Chioma Obinna, Olayinka Latona, Olasukanmi Akoni, Chris Ochayi,Ise-Oluwa Ige,  Henry Umoru, Emeka Mamah & AbdulSalam Muhammad

Lagos NMA urges Bankole to resign

LAGOS — The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has called on the embattled Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dimeji Bankole to restore honour to the House by resigning his position.

NMA Chairman, Dr. Adedamola Dada, described the actions of the Reps as a “show of shame.”
Claiming that the House under the leadership of  Bankole had descended to the lowest level, Dada regretted that the action was the lowest in the history of the nation.

“The NMA notes with dismay the show of shame that took place at the House of Representatives on Tuesday and without doubt, the House under Speaker Bankole has descended to the lowest level ever in the history of our nation with members beating themselves and breaking bones and tearing each others’ clothes right in the full glare of the whole world.”

Suspension of G-11 illegal — Falana, Keyamo

LAGOS — For Lagos-based legal practitioners, Messrs. Femi Falana and Festus Keyamo, the suspension of the G-11 lawmakers was unconstitutional.

In separate interviews, they argued that “the members are elected under the constitution and cannot be suspended by the House internal rules which are superseded by the constitution.”

According to Falana, only death, resignation or recall from the constituency could remove a lawmaker from office.

Keyamo, on his part, said the Speaker could not suspend a member of the House for even an hour.

His words: “The lawmakers have four unbroken years to represent their constituencies and the Speaker cannot change that. The suspension is illegal and void.”

 Reps must apologise to Nigerians — Owie, others

BENIN CITY — FORMER Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rev. Peter Obadan; former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Rowland Owie and Second Republic politician, Senator Francis Okpozo, have condemned Tuesday’s fracas at the House of Representatives and called on the lawmakers to apologise to Nigerians for the disgrace.

So also were a Bini socio cultural organisation, the Benin National Congress, BNC, and the National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, who in addition called for investigations into the allegations of fraud levelled at Speaker Dimeji Bankole and some lawmakers.

Obadan said he was not surprised by the actions of the legislators. “What do you expect when people are handpicked and never allowed to pass the due process of internal democracy and rule of law.

Also speaking, Senator Owie described the incident as normal in every democracy. However, he asked the legislators to apologise to the citizenry. “I just want the lawmakers to apologise to Nigerians, who voted them in because what we saw on television was shameful. I believe that something is wrong somewhere but we will get it right someday. But I will appeal for caution so that we do not destroy this democracy.”

The BNC said in a statement: “We make bold to say that the anti-climax of the plot by the 11 Progressives in the House of Reps and the counter-action of the pro-Bankole’s group portrayed the House leadership in bad light and questions its leadership credibility.”

“Nigerians believe that the resort to suspend the group of 11 was a ploy to kill the substance of their petition, which is to say the least, unfortunate, vindictive and reprehensible. We therefore call on the EFCC not to lose sight of the need to pro_actively investigate the characters involved in the petition and bring the perpetrators to book.”
 
It’s a crime against democracy — CNPP

ABUJA —  The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has said the free-for-all in the House of Representatives was a crime against democracy.

National Publicity Secretary, CNPP, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, who stated this while reacting to the crisis in a telephone conversation with Vanguard in Abuja, blamed both parties to the crisis — the House leadership and the Progressive Group — for their approach to the issue.

 “The free-for-all is a crime to democracy. The House leadership is impervious to criticisms and the progressives are intolerant to parliamentary procedural,” he said.
Utomi calls for part-time legislature

LAGOS — Protem National Chairman of the Social Democratic Mega Party, SDMP, Prof Pat Utomi, has called for a part-time legislature for Nigeria.

According to him, “Nigeria needs a Citizens Legislature with simple allowances as the remuneration of the lawmakers is unreasonable.”

“We must cut down on such costs if we are to move as a nation. The lawmakers should not get more than three per cent of the nation’s total budget.” he added.

Also speaking, the governorship candidate of the Democratic Peoples Alliance DPA in Lagos in 2007, Mr Jimi Agbaje, said: “The fight at the House was about sharing money and nothing more.”

“There is need to demonetize governance in Nigeria and make a strict call to service rather than to amass wealth.  The lawmakers are not true representatives of their people.”

It is a lesson for us to watch out for who we choose as our leaders in 2011.”

 Violent lawmakers are terrorists —Akintola

ABUJA — Legal icon, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, SAN, has described the free-for-all in the House of Representatives as an act of terrorism. He partly blamed the incident on President Goodluck Jonathan’s inability to assert himself as President.

His words: “What happened at the Green Chambers of the National Assembly was a show of shame. It speaks volume about the kind of leadership we have in this country.

“Why it happened should not come to us as a surprise. This is because we have in place a president who doesn’t know that it takes more than being a jolly good fellow to be a president.

“When a similar thing happened in Oyo State, about a week and a half ago, what I would have expected a serious-minded president to do is to take a decisive action that will send signal to other would-be violent lawmakers in the country that it is not going to be business as usual in the politics of the country. But he did nothing.”

 “Up till now, the hoodlums and perpetrators of the violence in the Ibadan Assembly are walking free. Nobody has been arrested. Nobody has been prosecuted. Whereas, what they did in Oyo State amounted to an offence under the Anti-Terrorism Act passed by the National Assembly.

“If  in Nigeria, the hallowed chambers of a state House of Assembly was invaded and nothing happened, then anything can happen in this country.”

Mayhem was orchestrated — Okoye, Girei

To the Executive Director of Human Rights Monitor, Mr. Festus Okoye, the fracas was pre-planned.
“The mayhem was carefully planned and maliciously executed. The planners acted a script and we hope they do not derail the democratic process. I am saddened by the development,” he said.

On his part, Senator Abubakar Girei said  G-11 were sponsored, adding: “The progressives are sponsored.”

 G-11 brought odium to the House — Na’Abba

KANO — FORMER Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba, has berated the suspended ‘Progressive Minded’ members of the House of Representatives for bringing the House to disrepute.

Na’Abba said the Dino Melaye-led group should have exploited the internal mechanism to resolve their grievances.

The former speaker, whose tenure was devoid of internal wrangling, said the conduct of the G-11 was an embarrassment to the House and the nation.

“The action of the Progressives is condemnable. No member should bring a legislative House to such disrepute. It is an embarrassment to the House, and the nation.”

Na’Abba, who is senatorial aspirant in Kano State, wondered why members of a legislative arm had to resort to gangsterism to resolve issues.

Act unpalatable, unacceptable —  Ekpenyong

ABUJA — FORMER Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Chris Ekpenyong, has described the action of members of the House of Representatives as unpalatable, unacceptable and condemnable.

He said it was unbelievable and shameful that the legislators, who were supposed to be the nation’s light, showed to the world the complete opposite of what their names connote, ‘honourable.’

“We should not allow personal interest to override national interest. They are there on the tax payers’ money. It is worrisome and that is what we are talking about reform in the entire system so that votes will count and people will no longer be handpicked into public offices,” he said.