MANY Nigerians have expressed shock at the street fight that exploded in the chamber of the House of Representatives last week Tuesday. I am not shocked because I expected it. The two sides – the so-called “Progressives” and the rest of the House supporting Speaker Dimeji Bankole – took time to prepare for it. The “Progressives”, led by loquacious, cantankerous and cheap Dino Melaye, had been making noise in the media, where they issued the Speaker a one-week ultimatum to resign or be exposed for alleged corruption and bad leadership.

CRITICS certainly are important in any society that is democratic or claims to be one. They do not only draw attention to problems, omissions or oversight by functionaries of state, but also point to possible alternatives or solutions.

Without the support of the Southern minorities, Biafra would have successfully seceded from Nigeria and the North would have been just another Niger Republic. Also, it was with the support of Rivers and Cross River State in the Second Republic that the North-dominated National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was able to win the 1979 elections.

UNLESS sanity prevails, come Tuesday June 22, 2010, we might be treated to another round of attempts to change the leadership of the House of Representatives when the Green Chamber returns from its annual recess.

THE two chambers of the National Assembly crossed a historical legislative milestone before embarking on a recess to end the Third Legislative Session when they passed the Constitution Amendment Bill.