The Nigerian National Assembly especially the senate has been embroiled
in one drama or the other in the last few months and most of these dramas are
national embarrassment to the Nigerian people thus questioning the need for the
Senate. The most recent one is the events that led to the suspension of Sen. Mohammed
Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) and the speed at which the shenanigans was carried
out questions the sincerity of the Senate under the leadership of Senate
President Bukola Saraki.
As far as the facts available in the public domain are concerned,
Sen. Ndume has not erred raising the point of order calling for the
investigation into the allegations made against the Senate President and Sen.
Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) by national Dailies which bothers on the Senate privileges.
The intention of Sen. Ali Ndume raising the point of order is inconsequential
here, the question is, does he have a legitimate ground to raise the point of
order? And the answer is yes because he quoted Order 14 and 15 of the Senate
Standing Rules and thereafter reeled out precedents for raising his point of
order.
He started from the 4th Assembly where Hon. Salisu Buhari (former
Speaker) in 1999 was
impeached from office in 1999 after it was discovered that he forged his
university certificate from Toronto University. Then to the 5th Assembly where
the former Senate President, Dr. Adolphus Wabara was accused of taking bribe,
it was investigated and he resigned. In the 6th Assembly, former Speaker Dimeji
Bankole was accused of not serving in the mandatory youth service and he
presented his discharge certificate and he was cleared. All these are
verifiable precedents and these are the bases on which Sen. Ali Ndume raised
his point of order so the Senate President Bukola Saraki and Sen. Dino Melaye
can be cleared of any wrongdoing so that the issue do not drag for too long
thereby bringing the integrity of the Senate to disrepute.
It is on record that Sen. Dino Melaye "perjured" himself
on the official rostrum of the Senate (at the Senate Media Centre) that he has
8 degrees from different institutions whereas the only degree that could be
confirmed was the one from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and he is
walking a free man but Sen. Ali Ndume who raised a legitimate point of order
bothering on privileges as provided for by the Senate Standing Rules is thrown
under the bus with a 6-month suspension?
One would have expected the Senate Committee on Public Petitions,
Ethics and Privileges would have done a better job during the public hearing of
the Committee in which both Sen. Bukola Saraki and Sen. Dino Melaye were
present to defend themselves but again, he who pays the piper dictates the
tune. It is very obvious that the Senate Committee on Public Petitions, Ethics
and Privileges chaired by Sen. Samuel Anyanwu acted the script mastermindedly
written by Senate President Bukola Saraki and his goons.
You ever wonder why this 8th Assembly can never pass the
Whistleblower Protection Bill? The House of Representatives made an example out
of Hon. Abdulmumiin Jibrin (APC, Kano) and the Senate had just made an example
of Sen. Ali Ndume yesterday.
My name remains Folusho Awosanya
and I just want to add my one cent. This remains my personal opinion and does
not represent the views of my boss and anyone else.
