Senator cautions against impunity as Gbajabiamila’s group rejects Dogara’s power sharing offer
Jibrin
SENATOR Barau Jibrin (Kano North Senatorial District) has, in an Open Letter to the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Senator Muhammed Danjuma Goje warned that “unless the rule of law is restored in the eighth Senate, the foundation of impunity and double-talk being presently played out in the current Senate is capable of derailing the Buhari Administration.’’
He made the submission in Kano yesterday.
And as the House of Representatives reconvenes next week Tuesday, there is no end in sight over the crisis rocking the lower legislative chamber as the group loyal to Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila are still at loggerheads over the choice of principal officers.
Senator Jibrin, who is a former Chairman, Appropriation Committee, House of Representatives regretted that “the Saraki-Ekweremadu group in their desperate political ambition, which manifested few days before the June 9 betrayal, suddenly turned upside down time-tested values of democracy and leadership they had professed publicly and privately.
He recalled in the Open Letter, how Senator Ekweremadu in a paper titled “Leadership in the National Assembly” he presented in Abuja at the Induction Certificate Course on Legislative Studies for the 8thNational Assembly held on April 27th 2015 had espoused party supremacy particularly as it affects the appointment of the principal officers of the senate.
Quoting from the lecture, Ekweremadu said inter-alia, “The Offices and functions of Officers of the Senate, for instance, are enumerated in Chapter 6 of the Senate Standing Orders. Thus, in addition to the Presiding Officers captured therein, Sections 25 to 32 provide for the following Offices: 1. Majority/Senate Leader, 2. Minority Leader, 3. Deputy Majority Leader , 4. Deputy Minority Leader, 5. Majority/Chief Whip, 6. Minority Whip 7. Deputy Majority Whip, and 8. Deputy Minority Whip
However, whereas the entire members of the House elect the Presiding Officers, whether in the Senate or the House of Representatives, the above listed Offices are party affairs and are supplied by the affected parties, accordingly. Generally, as the titles imply, the posts of Majority Leader, Deputy Majority leader, Majority/Chief Whip, and Deputy Majority Whip are supplied by the party with majority members in each house of the National Assembly while the reverse is the case for Minority Leader, Minority Whip and their deputies.”
Jibrin said but “lately you made an unfair remark that the National Assembly was not a party secretariat when our great party insisted that its supremacy and wishes in the matter of who occupied leadership position be respected.”
According to the lawmaker, ‘’it is not only the flouting of the rules concerning the party’s latitude to present the leadership of its Senate caucus that Senator Ekweremadu has provided support for but he has also provided support to Senator Saraki to flout the ranking rule in the legislature unlike what he explained at the same public gathering inter alia:
“Ranking Rule: Both the House and Senate Standing Orders lay emphasis on legislative experience or Ranking Rule. In the Senate for instance, Order 2 provides: Nomination of Senators to serve as Presiding Officers and appointments of Principal Officers and other Officers of the Senate or on any Parliamentary delegations shall be in accordance with the ranking of Senators. In determining ranking, the following order shall apply: 1. Senators returning based on number of times re-elected 2. Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives 3. Senators elected as Senators for the first time.
This rule, though not law in itself, is a parliamentary norm, even in the United States of America and has been variously upheld by the courts. It is protected by Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution.”
Jibrin, who is the Chairman of the Publicity Committee of the Unity Forum submitted that the parlous situation foisted on the Senate by impunity and double-talk will persist until “we see to it that the rules you have enjoined others to breach are asserted”.
“Senator Barau Jibrin advised Senators Saraki and Ekweremadu that ‘as they remain in the Eighth Senate wanting to make laws for the people of Nigeria must themselves obey the rule of the game.”
On Senator Goje, who is a former Governor of Gombe State, the lawmaker said he could not understand his sudden change from being an adherent of rule of law and a party disciplinarian.
“Senator Danjuma Goje told me among others at the Aminu Kano House at Asokoro, Abuja before the purported inauguration of the 8th Senate what we already knew that the appointment of Principal Officers of the Senate is the purview of the concerned political parties that have their members in the senate guided by ranking rule of the Red Chambern” the lawmaker declared.
He went on: “But I was surprised to hear Senator Goje insisting on the floor of the Senate that the so-called zonal caucuses are the ones that should appoint the principal officers instead. I wonder which part of the Senate Standing Order did Senator Goje relied on to make his assertion, as I know that neither the extant Senate Standing Order 2011 as Amended nor the forged one currently being used by the Senate contains the position that is being canvased by Senator Goje.’’
Jibrin called on well-meaning Nigerians to stand up against the current desecration of the 8th Senate through impunity which is capable of not only undermining the sanctity of the Senate “but the current administration and our entire democracy.”
Yesterday, lawmakers in support of Gbajabiamila under the aegis of the APC loyalists group outrightly rejected the recent concessions made by Speaker Dogara whereby he ceded the positions of House Leader and Chief Whip to them.
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10 Comments
Going through this piece of response obviously crafted by Femi Gbajabiamilia (going by his speeches and interviews I have listened to), one is left, not only to wonder, but also to worry why some Nigerians are not at all concerned with the broader and weightier issues of piece, harmony and longevity of this great country. Rather, they are content with presenting and pushing their personal and ethnic interests beyond limit, even when doing so offends basic logic, law and morality and violate the spirit of harmonious co-existence. But, ironically, these are the ones who will first point accusing fingers, charging others of ethnic biases or intolerance.
The Gbajabiamila response, though clearly an attempt at being smart by half is clay-footed. A few observations:
1. He says the Constitutional requirement of Federal Character is not applicable to the Legislature, but “merit” only. This position cannot be supported by any REASONABLE logic. Because, any ethnic group in APC -Hausa, Yoruba or Kanuris of the North East – that has up to 10 persons in the House or Senate can comfortably occupy all the principal offices in either the Senate or the House to the exclusion of every other ethnic group just on the basis of “merit” alone. Will that scenario be the intendment of the Constitution and our founding fathers ? The simple answer is No. Therefore, it is a mere exercise in dis-ingenuousness by employing the rather bogus word in Nigeria “merit” in the circumstance.
2. Another Inverted logic: That Dogara and Saraki are both Northerners. That’s false presentation of the constitutional position. The Constitution of Nigeria specifically mentioned and prohibits the “preponderance” of one “ethnic” group in any office of government. Bukola Saraki is Yoruba, Yussuf Lasun (Deputy Speaker) is Yoruba and Femi Gbajabiamila who wants to be the House Leader is also Yoruba. It is a no brainer to hold that Bukola Saraki ceases to be Yoruba because he is from Kwara State. Or, that his refusal to “dobale” to Jagaban renders him less or non-Yoruba.
3. Reference is made of Zone (South East) that does “not qualify” under the House Rules. If that is the position, the Rule is contrary to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For under the Constitution, Membership of any of the Chambers is what qualifies one to vie to be a principal officer. For the records, neither Salisu Buhari, Ghali Na’Aba nor Ken Nnnamani went to any School of Ranking before occupying their offices even when there were in their session members with legislative experience from earlier Republic. The House Rules cannot and will not invalidate the basic right granted a citizen by the Constitution. That House Rule can operate only at the sufferance of members (i.e. where and if they condone it) not by “operation of law” as we are being bamboozled here.
4. That Dogara violated the earlier “Zoning” arrangement. That is also false. There was no such zoning in the first place. What the self-styled owners of APC did was to share offices in the National Assembly between the North and the South West in utter disregard of the South South and the South East. We raised alarm at the time, pointing out that “booty sharing” is unacceptable as Zoning. That is not, and cannot, be ZONING.
In sum a candid reading of the Dogara Response and this Gbajbiamila Response will reveal to any patriot that Dogara’s is more nationalistic as it attempted to give every section of this great nation a sense of belonging thereby readily guaranteeing a peaceful and harmonious co-existence of our diverse people. For one, I read Dogara’s and, for a very long time, had cause to be proud of being a Nigeria with a brighter prospect of living in equitable, peaceful and harmonious country. Dogara’s is more progressive as it made for live and let live. On the other breath, this one by Gbajabiamila is quite provocative, arrogant and full of airs of superiority as it reminds of “Landlord” and “Tenant” Nigerians or “Superior” and “Inferior” Nigerians. Theirs is a position that is set to violate legislative harmony and create perpetual discord in the minds of our diverse peoples. Nigeria must cease to be a puzzle. Those who made fame out of “Jonathan excluded my people” should refrain from inventing and justifying rules of exclusion.
I have always enjoined compatriots, especially of the APC, to endeavour to see the need to respect our diversity. APC must stop heating our polity; they rather concentrate their energies on providing the needed support to the President to govern us aright. We desperately need this CHANGE APC promised. As at date Ministers, Ambassadors, etc cannot be submitted and confirmed because APC is still wagging a war of Power Occupation in the National Assembly. This must stop. Above all, this country must be run on the basis of Live and Let Live.
Bukola Saraki does not think He is Yoruba or from the Southwest according to Nigerian politics He is from North Central
In the 7th senate did the PDP pick an opposition party member as the deputy senate president , it can not be earned by dubious means, the country can not be run by business as usual
By your logic, Igbos who sided Nigeria during the civil war ceased to be Igbo by that act ? “Think,” is completely different. Is he or is he not Yoruba ?
one thing is clear here. APC got outmanuerved and they are pissed. why the fight among themselves, nigerian’s continue to suffer. one single action hasn’t being carried out by them.
I would so much appreciate it if you can kindly give us the proposed list of names the
APC as a party did push forward for the posts in both Upper & Lower chambers.
With this, one will be sure if APC as a party is tribalistic in the sharing of posts.
Certainly, you are an arrival from planet Moon.
Thanks for ur comment about me…I want to believe that your inability to
give me that info, shows that you only thrive on insinuations not real fact..
Q.E.D.
Come clean on the issue .
Bukola Saraki claims to be Fulani, he is not Yoruba. Is Wike an Nkwere or an igbo (ibo)?
Cry me a river… you are here shouting impunity! Impunity!! Impunity!!! Is this not the same jibrin who screamed and rejoiced “victory for democracy” when your traitorous tambuwal committed impunity against his party, his president and even Nigeria. Didn’t I hear your voice so loud Jibrin when you were shouted victory for democracy when you and ur cohort did almost everything to frustrated this country from progressing just barely few months ago. What goes around surely do come around. You will be served exactly the same dish of deceit, hatred and treachery you prepared for the opposition few months ago. Jibrin, saraki, gbajabiamila, tambuwal… are all not deserving of the tittle ‘law maker’ in this country or any. They are misfit and they are all apc.
We will review and take appropriate action.