N’Assembly tackles Obasanjo over corruption allegation

Posted by admin House, Legislature, Senate Friday, May 25th, 2012

Senate President, David Mark

By:

ADETUTU FOLASHADE-IKOYI

Date:

Thu, 05/24/2012 – 13:30

For calling members of the National Assembly armed robbers and rogues, former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday incurred the wrath of the federal lawmakers. The former president had at the fourth Annual National Conference of the Academy of Entrepreneurial Studies (AES) in Lagos on Tuesday said the judiciary had corrupted politicians. He spoke as the chief/keynote speaker. But yesterday, the Senate took on Obasanjo, asking him to name the rogues and armed robbers in the National Assembly.

Reacting to the former president’s accusation, Senate spokesman, Enyinnaya Abaribe, noted that although the legislature had great respect for Obasanjo, he should still go further by naming the rogues and armed robbers in the National Assembly.

“We have been getting too many enquiries, regarding a statement made by the former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, that the National Assembly is full of rogues. “The National Assembly has a great respect for the person of the former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the National Assembly can never engage in any talkback with the former president.

“We actually feel that the former president would help the National Assembly and indeed also help Nigerians in the new spirit of transparency and openness by assisting the National Assembly to name those that he knows in the National Assembly as either rogues or criminals.

“That will help us to be able to sanitise the polity. We sincerely thank him for his role in Nigeria as someone, who cares very deeply about the Nigerian state and how it is at the moment and not just President Obasanjo; we also urge other Nigerians, who are concerned about Nigeria to also in the spirit of transparency, let us know whatever information that they have so that we can use it to check ourselves and to be able to make Nigeria a better place,” Abaribe said. In the House of Representatives yesterday, Speaker of the House, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, saved Obasanjo from the fury of fellow members over the report.

Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Suleiman Kawu Sumaila, had, while drawing the attention of his colleagues to the alleged remarks, moved a motion to call Obasanjo to order. Said Kawu “I am raising this Point of Order under matters of personal privilege because the former president called us rogues and armed robbers but I am not an armed robber neither am I a rogue.” “His (Obasanjo) greatest grouse against us is that we refused him third term in office and since then we have become his enemies. But Obasanjo does not have credibility in Nigeria…” he added. However, in a what appeared a saving grace for the former president, Speaker Tambuwal hurriedly referred the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, ending debate on the motion. “I believe this is not a matter that should be debated. It will be referred to the House Committee on Ethics and Privilege for investigation. We cannot go into the foray and begin to discuss this matter. The matter is hereby referred to the Committee on ethics and Privileges for investigation,” ruled Tambuwal, striking the gavel.

Meanwhile, a bill, seeking to curb the powers of the Minister of Justice passed the second reading in the House yesterday.

The lawmakers seek to amend Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants to the Attorney-General of the Federation the power to, among others, “institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court of law in Nigeria other than a court-martial, in respect of any offence created by or under any Act of the National Assembly.”

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