TheNewsGuru

Tag: Senate

  • Snoring while the roof is on fire – Owei Lakemfa

    The invasion of the hallowed chambers of the Senate on Wednesday while the Distinguished were in session, was dramatic but not unexpected. We are lucky that the invaders were not out to physically attack the Senators, otherwise, there might have been some casualties amongst them more so when the hoodlums walked in the midst of the Senators and even came face to face with the presiding officer. Given the amount of time it took the thugs to force their way into the chambers, fighting those at the entrance, snatching the mace and making their get-away, the National Assembly (NASS)complex should have been locked down. That it was not, is symptomatic of the low level of security in the country. There were even no security cameras and video surveillance systems that captured the brigands arrival and escape from the Assembly complex. None in the streets to show their escape route.

    The successful attack on the Senate, was no wake-up call; if legislators were to awaken, they would have done so over the years when state legislators were being physically attacked and even sacked by thugs. Thugs on August 1, 2017 invaded the Kogi State House of Assembly while in session, beat the legislators and locked up the complex without security forces lifting a finger not to talk about arresting even one of the over 100 hoodlums. The same legislators were physically attacked in their official quarters, beaten and forced out without the perpetuators who were identified, being brought to book. In the same state, five minority legislators were allowed to sack fifteen majority legislators without the any repercussion.

    Far back November, 2006, five legislators out of the 24 in the Plateau State House of Assembly impeached then Governor Joshua Dariye, and the NASS which knew that the constitution provides for a minimum two thirds to impeach the governor, looked the other away. It did not think it was a sacrilegious offence for which it should have shut-down in protest or strived to bring perpetrators to book. That illegality like some others such as the January, 2006 impeachment of Governor Rasheed Ladoja, were fully bagged by the Federal Government. Once the NASS as an institution, condoned illegalities against legislators, invasion, and the misuse of State Assemblies to violate the constitution, they should expect that such brigandage can spread to its hallowed chambers.

    So the real insecurity we face in the country is not the breach of the NASS security even if it be termed ‘treason’ the real insecurity is the almost daily massacre of Nigerians by highly mobile brigands who target our rural and semi-urban regions and food producing areas. From April 14-15, they massacred 32 Tiv villagers across the Southern Senatorial district of Nasarawa State. Despite an estimated 15,000 fleeing victims flooding the streets of the state capital, Lafia, the Police Command on the third day of the attacks still claimed ignorance. Yet the Police was expected to have prevented such massacres in the first place or be the first respondents.

    A day after these attacks, in neigbouring Benue State, the same blood thirsty hoodlums killed four policemen in Logo, one of the two local governments they had massacred 73 Nigerians this January. An interesting point is that the police command in its statement, said its “personnel came under attack by insurgents…” That precisely is the point the Nigerian state has been shying away from making over the years; what the country is witnessing is not ‘herdsmen-farmers clash’ or “communal clash” it is an insurgency which is an attempt by armed people to take over or control the country by force.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha said on April 19 at the opening ceremony of the Federal and States, Security Administrators Meeting, FSSAM in Katsina that, excluding recent attacks, “Within the last few months, we have recorded a total of over 30 incidences which have claimed (the ) lives of more than 257 persons within this year alone” Amnesty International statistics show that in January alone, 168 were killed and that between 2016 and 2017, 717 persons were killed in these attacks.

    The ethno-religious, socio-economic, cultural, political, regional or national origin of the insurgents should not be the issue, what is important is defeating them, protecting the citizenry and preventing our country from being overrun. We cannot allow a daily harvest of corpses in our villages and towns or just debate in the social media the intention of the attackers, what matters is how we take them on and take them out.

    Given the reality of the situation, we need to declare war on the insurgents and declare a state of emergency. The people should be taught how to identify the insurgents, the nature of the insurgency, the insurgents motives and why they seize and keep territories. Another basic step, is where territories have been taken, and villages occupied, the government needs to retake such places, secure them and assist the people to return to continue their normal lives. We must not continue to increase the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps. Already, we have the third largest number of IDPs after war ravaged Iraq and Syria.

    In the face of imminent attack, or during attacks, our people need to know how to raise alarm without endangering their lives or compromising the security of people around them. Of all fundamental human rights, the right to life is the most basic and nobody can enjoy human rights if he is dead.

    I reiterate that it is immaterial whether the insurgents are Nigerians or foreign invaders, what is important is that we are able to exterminate them. We have to realize that we are at war, and our leaders must put the country on war footing against the insurgents. A situation where the governor of a state who is also the chief security officer tells the people to arm themselves with stones and fight off insurgents armed with sophisticated weapons, is a show of desperation. Nigerians must not be allowed to get to that stage before we react adequately to the challenge. We have to wake up from our slumber and put off the fire raging in our roof. We have no other country, but Nigeria; we must defend her.

  • Invasion of Senate was plotted by FG says Gov. Wike

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the invasion of the Senate was an official plot by the Federal Government to overthrow the Senate Leadership.

    Governor Wike also declared that the Federal Government is still plotting to frame him, saying that the latest plan hatched by the Federal Government is for someone programmed by the Security Agencies to claim that he received $3million from the Rivers State Governor.

    He spoke during 105th Annual Convention of the Nigerian Baptist Convention at Ndele, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday.

    The governor said: “They plotted to overthrow the leadership of the Senate, but they failed. What you saw was a horrible design to remove the senate leadership.

    “If you know the Security architecture of the National Assembly, nobody can go in easily and leave easily without the gates being shut. These people entered and left unchallenged.

    “When the Senate gave the Police a 24hour ultimatum to find the mace, our Nigerian Police became so efficient that they traced the Mace to where it was left under the bridge”

    The governor said it was unfortunate that the President went abroad to de-market the country by claiming that the youths are lazy.

    He said no investor will invest his resources in a country where the youths lack productive capacity.

    Governor Wike called on Nigerians to work towards a new administration at the Federal level in 2019, noting that the collapse of national security, welfare and development are enough reasons for a change of direction.

    “We are not looking for people who will give us excuses. Since they cannot work, they should allow those with capacity to take over in 2019,” he said.

    In his sermon, President of Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev Sampson Ayokunle directed all churches in Nigeria to process around their worship centres to call for the end of senseless killings in the country.

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria said the procession will also serve as a call for the release of Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls held in captivity.

    Rev Ayokunle decried the rate at which the Federal Government allow senseless killings to fester across the country.

    Speaking further, he said that it was disheartening that persons without the requisite qualifications gain authority beyond their capacity. He said the governance process has been stagnated due to the lack of capacity.

    Ayokunle called on Christians to actively participate in the forthcoming general election to ensure that a responsible government is enthroned in 2019.

    Prayers were said for Nigeria, Rivers State and Governor Wike. The Nigerian Baptist Convention attracted thousands of Baptist Members to Ndele, Rivers State.

     

  • Suspension of elected representatives and Senate’s Mace saga, By Carl Umegboro

    By Carl Umegboro

    The legislature has over the years played politics to the extreme by repeatedly, egotistically misappropriating its gavel in contradiction of democratic norm, and severally, conceitedly axed opposing colleagues that were elected by the people in their respective senatorial districts and constituencies for their counterparts at the House of Representatives or Assembly. By democratic norms, the electorates freely and wittingly bid their mandate to some persons to exercise the sovereignty on their behalf as their representatives and therefore can only be removed from workplace by the people. The fundamental principle guiding all rules and laws is Section 1(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended which emphatically makes the provisions of the constitution superior to all other laws including the Senate Rules. Irrefutably, the constitution recognises Delta state as a part of the federation and equally empowered it to be represented by senators as other states. In other words, the action of the senate recently by suspending a duly elected legislator, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege representing Delta central senatorial district is clearly a display of disdain and naivety, and above all, constitutes a robbery against the entire people of the area.

    By the grotesque intrigues, the entire population of the senatorial district being represented is unconsciously, impliedly kicked out from the federal government by shutting out their representative from participating in legislative businesses, sadly by elected colleagues. Frankly speaking, the action fell below the bar of decorum. This aberration gravely portends danger as any acts of the parliament during the period of such unlawful suspension cannot legally stand without carrying along the senatorial district that is likewise a stakeholder in the national project. Succinctly, all resolutions during the unlawful moratorium should logically be null and void as it is a legitimate right of all senatorial districts and constituencies to be part of policies for the nation. The risk in sustaining the noxious, malevolent and mischievous scheme is that it could someday extensively be used as a political tool of oppression against a district, constituency or geographical zone that genuinely clamors for welfare of its population such that its representative may also be kicked out ahead of the plenary.

    Imperatively, election and recall, apart from orders of the court afford the electorates rights to ‘hire and fire’ those they endorsed for public offices. It therefore becomes inconceiveable that legislators, duly elected with certificate-of-return and consequently sworn-in to represent their people can only exercise the mandate by the discretion of other elected colleagues. The mandate to represent the people in the Senate, House of Representatives or Assembly is not in any way a shared responsibility or conditional, but sacrosanct; exclusively determined by the people. And even if a colleague is found guilty of any violations including in-house rules, the appropriate people to call the shorts or cut short the primary duties are the electorates. At most, the legislative chamber can withdraw privileged benefits it freely allotted by partisan considerations where violation is substantiated against the colleague. That’s the extent House Rules can go except where such rules are not inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution unlike the present quagmire. Thus, no legislative body has powers to shut out a bona fide legislator elected to represent a group of people in legislative businesses of the nation.

    Democracy is etymologically, the government of the people, by the people and for the people. It therefore connotes that the people plays fundamental roles in any democratic system as it is virtually all about the people. Thus, where the representative of the people is denied access into government businesses, it is tantamount to intimidation, terrorization and muzzling of the entire people being represented. To sum, the action of the senate is aptly treasonous and felonious; criminal offenses punishable with terms of imprisonments against the perpetrators. It is clearly hostilities against Section 14(2)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, and inimical to corporate existence of the nation. Politics must be played within the borders. To barefacedly and recklessly shut out or suspend, even for a day, a legislator that represents a legitimate group recognized by the nation’s constitution for whatever reasons let alone frivolities and partisanship is the height of law-breaking and should expeditiously attract full wraths of the law. A legislator that contravenes in-house rules may lose secondary assigned positions or duties but not the primary duties assigned by the electorates which is similar to shutting out the entire people of the district or constituency from participation in the government.

    As it stands, the senate has by its reckless action unconsciously suspended the entire people of Delta central senatorial district from legislative businesses of the country for ninety days. That’s the height of provocation in a democracy and believably, without the provocative attack on the people, the disgraceful snatching of the Senate Mace, albeit condemned in strong terms, wouldn’t have occurred. Probably, the jumbo allowances the lawmakers covetously allocated to themselves made them forget the concept of representation of the legislature vis-à-vis the people. Emphatically, the legislative arm albeit misconstrued by politicians is the peoples’ corner. The National Assembly transcends a legislative building rather an assembly or gathering of representatives of all nationalities and ethnic groups. A legislator is irrespective of his height or status, apparently the symbol of the constituency he represents and therefore any actions against him is directed at his people. Comparatively, suspending or shutting out an elected representative from the parliament is not different from removing a member-nation’s flag from the ECOWAS or United Nations headquarters. Unfortunately, true democracy largely remains a myth in the contemporary society instead, draining of the people flourishes as a common goal. To digress, it is indeed upsetting that most allocations made for constituency projects for districts and constituencies in the country end up in foreign countries for acquiring exquisite properties for ‘distinguished senators and honorable members’. What an inhumanity to man!

    Umegboro, public affairs analyst writes from Abuja via umegborocarl@gmail.com (07057101974 SMS only)

  • Senate invasion: Saraki visits wounded female Sergeant-at-Arms Officer [Video]

    Senate President Bukola Saraki on Sunday visited Mrs. Sandra Davou, Sergeant-at-Arms Officer who was wounded when thugs reportedly sponsored by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege invaded the Senate on Wednesday.

    TheNewsGuru reports Mrs. Davou suffered various injuries after she was assaulted when the thugs invaded the Senate chambers of the National Assembly.

    The Senate President, who was away in Washington when the incident happened, had condemned the invasion of the Senate and said the red chambers will stop at nothing to bringing those responsible to book.

    He also commended the leadership and all members of the Senate for standing up firmly in defense of democracy and the rule of law with their decision to defy those who machinated the attack on the red chambers of the National Assembly.

    “I am delighted that the Senate stood up to them by disregarding their unreasonable and shameful action and went on with the day’s proceedings as slated in the Order Paper.

    “My commendation goes to my deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, other members of the leadership, my colleagues, the leadership and members of the House of Representives for standing in defence of democracy, parliamentary sanctity and constitutionalism.

    “With the way the Senate has defied those seeking to undermine it, we have sent out a strong signal that we are always ready to defend our constitutional mandate and nothing will deter us from this.

    “I associate myself with the comments of the Deputy Senate President that we are ready to get to the roots of this assault on democracy and ensure that those who are responsible, no matter how remote, will be brought to justice,” Saraki said.

    https://www.facebook.com/bukola.saraki/videos/10156365678829962/

     

  • Senate invasion, mace theft was blessing in disguise – APC Senator

    Senator Abu Ibrahim (APC-Katsina South) has described the Wednesday’s invasion of the Senate Chamber by hoodlums as a “positive development’’.

    He stated this on Friday while he fielded questions from State House correspondents in Abuja.

    Some hoodlums had on Wednesday entered the Senate chamber during plenary, attacked some persons and made away with the mace.

    The legislator, however, observed that the attack was a blessing in disguise as the incident had revealed the security lapse at the assembly.

    “Obviously, what has happened is a concern to every Nigerian politician. But, at the same time, we have to accept in Nigeria or all over the world politics sometimes can create a situation of this kind of what happened.

    “But this has given us two opportunities; one, to look at the security of the National Assembly itself whereby I think Nigerian National Assembly is the most insecure assembly I have seen in my life.

    “Wherever I went to there was good security, you can’t just go in, you cannot access, you cannot go to officers.

    “But now if you go to our offices, like my office yesterday there were over 50 people waiting for me and I didn’t give anybody appointment.

    “So, this has probably influenced us in the leadership to sit down and critically examine the security of the National Assembly itself. So, it is a positive development.’’

    He said the second `benefit’ of the Mace saga was that members of the Senate became more united, and they renewed their pledge to abide by the constitution and rules of the national assembly.

    According to the senator, the incident has also afforded the senators opportunity to ask themselves questions on what happened and why it happened.

    He said: “Secondly we sat at executive session as senators, we asked ourselves what happened and why. And we told ourselves the truth.

    “We even pin-pointed culprits in what led to this and we came out with a promise that everyone of us will support and abide by the provision of the constitution.

    “Our rules in the national assembly in the Senate and obviously we accepted that we are all senators, the same rank, elected by our people and we have the same right and privileges.

    “Therefore, this is the second benefit if we can call it benefit of what has happened what we saw two days ago.’’

    On the activities of the Buhari Support Group, Ibrahim disclosed that the group would be inaugurating its offices in Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States on Monday.

    He added that the group’s campaign buses would also be inaugurated at the same time.

     

  • Senate summons Police IG, DG DSS over invasion, stolen mace

    Sequel to the invasion of the Senate and subsequent theft of the mace by some thugs suspected to be loyal to a suspended member, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, the leadership of the Senate has resolved to summon the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the Director-General of the Department of State Security Services (DSS), Lawal Daura.

    Recall that the mace was stolen from the Senate chamber on Wednesday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that at about 11:50 a.m., a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Habila Joshak, handed over the mace to the clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, after it was said to have been found under a bridge in Abuja.

    After over one hour of closed-door session on Thursday, the presiding officer, Ike Ekweremadu, confirmed the retrieval of the mace.

    “This hallowed chamber supported by the House of Representatives demanded that the Inspector-General of Police recover and return the stolen mace to the Senate within 24 hours. Concerned colleagues and Nigerians who wanted to find out if the mace has been found have inundated me with calls and messages since last night. Let me therefore formally confirm to you that the mace has been recovered and returned by the police as demanded by this hallowed chamber.”

    Ekweremadu announced the intention of the Senate to invite Idris and Daura next week to brief them on whatever they have found out in their investigation of the matter.

    He added that the lawmakers have resolved that appropriate sanctions be meted out to all security personnel and individuals fingered in the invasion.

    “Nevertheless, we believe there should be consequences for bad behaviour. We swore to uphold the laws of Nigeria and the principles of rule of law. It still beats the imagination of Nigerians and the civilised world that the attackers passed through several security checks and barriers of the National Assembly and gained access into this chamber and also escaped with the mace into the thin air despite the well-known fortified surroundings of this parliament. Therefore, we ruled that it will be a detour to the state of nature when life was lawless and brutish if what happened yesterday was allowed to go unpunished or to be swept under the carpet. It will never happen. We’ll get to the root of this matter.

    “We therefore call on the Inspector-General of Police and DG SSS to ensure that all those who plotted, aided, abetted and executed this dastardly affront on our democracy and belittled Nigeria before the international community must be brought to book to serve as deterrence to others. We will be inviting them next week to brief us.”

    The Deputy Senate President however used the opportunity to again advocate for a decentralised police system which he said would have prevented the attack.

    He said, “This incident has also brought to the fore the case many have always made for the decentralised police system. Ordinarily, a big institution like the National Assembly should have its own police apart from the sergeant-at-arms. However, the security of this parliament is fully outside the control of the National Assembly. Instructively, the same gangsterism that was witnessed here yesterday has been recorded in various state houses of assemblies.

    “I want to assure Nigerians that we will never waver in the responsibilities they have elected us to shoulder. We will all stand together to defend this institution of the parliament and our democracy. We will never fear to legislate and we will never legislate out of fear.”

  • Senate Invasion: Labour condemns attack; says democracy at risk

    Senate Invasion: Labour condemns attack; says democracy at risk

    A NEC Member of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Issa Aremu has condemned the invasion of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly and disruption of the Senate plenary by unknown persons on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.

    Comrade Aremu said “an injury to the National Assembly is an injury to the nation’s democracy” adding that the “Federal government probe of the invasion should be prompt and conclusive with the objective of prevention of future acts”.

    The labour leader said the unfortunate senate event was a rude awakening to all for good governance with respect to security of lives and property as contained in 1999 constitution. Comrade Aremu said what the Senate just witnessed had been “the routine lots of many defenseless Nigerians” who are daily physically assaulted by criminals in homes, on the roads and in their communities.

    Comrade Aremu said while nothing could justify thuggery at the Senate, the leadership of the National Assembly must also stop criminalizing dissenting views of democratically elected members. “The serial suspension of any members of the hallowed Chambers who hold contrary views amounts to legislative dictatorship which is also unacceptable in a democracy” he observed. Democracy is about cooperation as much as contestation and the National Assembly is the true symbol of both, he said.

    Thugs suspected to be loyal to the suspended Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial district, Ovie Omo-Agege have invaded the red chambers and forcefully taken away the mace. They broke into the chambers when plenary was going on, thereby creating serious confusion and tension.

    The Senate plenary was disrupted after suspected thugs invaded the chamber and made away with the mace. Aremu said the mass condemnation of the Senate invasion shows “there is a national consensus that democracy despite some of its shortcomings remains the best form of good governance and development for Nigeria.”

  • Senate Invasion: Presidency may be next – Shehu Sani

    The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has described that the invasion and the snatching of the mace from the upper legislative chambers as an attempted coup d’etat and an assault to democracy.

    Thugs suspected to be loyal to the suspended Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial district, Ovie Omo-Agege on Wednesday, invaded the red chambers and forcefully taken away the mace.

    They stormed the chambers when plenary was going on, thereby creating serious confusion and tension.

    Sani had immediate after the incident on Wednesday revealed how he stopped the plenary from being adjourned.

    In series of tweets, the Senator said what happened to the upper legislative chamber yesterday could also happen to the Presidency if not checked.

    He tweeted, “The armed invasion of the senate stands condemned. Its treasonable, an attempted coup d etat .Its an assault on democracy and a desecration of an institution of democracy.

    “Those who sanctioned, organized and supported this will someday do that to the Presidency or the judiciary.

    “I salute the courage of those senators who heed to our call to stand firm and defend the parliament and democracy.

    “We appreciate the solidarity of members of House of Representatives. We salute the courage of supporting staff of the senate chambers who fell victims of the armed invaders.”

  • BREAKING: Police recover Senate’s stolen mace under Abuja bridge

    The police in the early hours of Thursday announced the recovery of the mace stolen from the Senate on Wednesday.

    The announcement of the recovery of the mace was contained in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood.

    Moshood said in the statement: “Sequel to the invasion of the Senate Chambers of the National Assembly, Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 18th April, 2018 by some suspected thugs who disrupted the Senate Plenary Session and carted away the Mace of the Red Chambers, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K.

    Idris NPM, mni, immediately instituted a high-powered Police Investigation and Intelligence Team coordinated by the IGP Monitoring Unit of the Force and further directed a total lock-down of the Federal Capital Territory with intense surveillance patrol and thorough Stop and Search Operations at various Police check-points with a view to arresting perpetrators and possible recovery of the stolen Mace.

    “The Police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints, stop and search operations, visibility and confidence building patrols, intelligence gathering which forced the suspected miscreants to abandon the Mace at a point under the flyover before the City Gate, where a patriotic passer-by saw it and alerted the Police.

    “While a discreet investigation into the incident is still ongoing to arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Nigeria Police Force appreciates the spirited members of the public, most especially motorists within Abuja Metropolis for their support, cooperation and timely information during the rigorous stop and search operations for the recovery of the Mace.

    “The renewed commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to guarantee protection of Lives and Property, Peace and Stability and sustain democracy in the country remains unequivocal and unwavering.”

  • Senate Invasion: Nigerians no longer safe under Buhari’s govt – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus on Wednesday said that the daylight invasion of the Senate and subsequent hijacking of the mace by some thugs believed to be sponsored by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is a sign that Nigerians are no longer under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

    Secondus, who spoke with journalists at the Akure Airport on his way to Ekiti State, said all the political movements going on currently in the country were targeted at removing President Muhammadu Buhari from office in the 2019 Presidential election.

    He said, “We are all Nigerians, I believe that all the forces are working together for the interest of this nation and at this point, we believe that the movements are for the interest of all Nigerians. The move is to rescue Nigeria from the crisis we have found ourselves

    “A few minutes ago, in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we were informed that hoodlums forced their ways into the Senate chamber and carted away the mace. What that means is that the country is totally broken. The APC government is totally broken, there is insecurity all over the country – from the North to the East to West, people are dying on daily basis.

    “So all the forces are for the interest of the country. Nigerian people are tired of the Buhari’s government.

    The PDP chairman, who arrived Akure together with some national leaders of the party, also stated that the APC government had performed woefully and the PDP was now ready to take over power, saying the committee set up for the reconciliation had done well as the reconciliation was now yielding fruitful result

    “The Dickson (reconciliation) committee has been doing very tremendous jobs and the reconciliation has been very successful. So far so good the people are happy now in the party. You can see the rallies in Jigawa and Katsina States and all over the country the PDP is rebranded and repositioned to regain the power in 2019.