By Laja Thomas
LAGOS—THE Centre for Ethics, Democracy and Development, CEDAD, has condemned the purported recent face-off  involving the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole at the commissioning of newly constructed bridge in Ota, Ogun State last Thursday, where the Minister of Works, Sen Sanusi Daggash and the Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and other Nigerians citizens were present.

Addressing newsmen weekend in Lagos through its Executive Director, Mr Ismail Olawale said: “ We are indeed alarmed that this ugly incident has further cast aspersion on the integrity of our political elite who now appear vaingloriously enamored by mundane and arrogant display of naked power.

“If the Speaker was interested in performing a State function of that nature, protocol demands such would have been fully discussed and settled with the Federal Minister in charge of Woks rather than attempting to stampede the Minister and the Governor after the official function had been performed”.

And to think that the youthful Speaker turned up pretty late for such event; where he supposedly had hope to perform an important function smacks of deliberate ploy to draw needless attention and to possibly invent a political crisis for personal reason.”

Continuing he said, “we urge the Hon. Speaker to recognize that as a principal officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, much trust is reposed in him. He should not degenerate into playing crude politics that tend to give the impression that Nigerian youths of today would turn out worse than their older generations.”