The public investigation by the committee probing the award of N628 million contract for the renovation of the official residences of Speaker Patricia Etteh and her deputy, Hon. Babangida Saidu Nguroje, was yesterday disrupted as members of the House of Representatives engaged themselves in an open fight at the venue of the probe panel.
Hon. Emmanuel Jime (PDP, Benue), Dino Melaye (PDP, Kogi), and Kayode Taiwo (PDP, Osun) virtually turned Hearing Room 1 venue of the investigation into a boxing ring, preventing Mrs. Etteh from testifying before the committee.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has banned its members, except those invited by the panel to give evidence, from attending any session of the investigative committee just as the panel's mandate has been extended till next Tuesday.
Following the news that Etteh and her leadership were going to face the panel yesterday, an unprecedented crowd besieged the venue of the open hearing and the entire National Assembly complex.
Security within and around the National Assembly was tight as people were thoroughly searched before being allowed access into the complex.
Etteh had arrived the venue of the public hearing in company of some principal officers amidst tight security at exactly 10 a.m.
At exactly 10:40 a.m., chairman of the nine-member panel, Hon. David Idoko, called the hearing to order with an opening prayer. After an opening remark, he invited the speaker to take her seat and testify.
"I believe that with the speaker seated here it will be difficult to have the House in session. I believe that it will only be fair if we take the speaker so that she can go and preside over the house. Madam Speaker, can you take your seat?" he announced.
As Etteh made her way to her seat, the hall went wild with shouts, "Madam Speaker!" from her supporters, led by Hon. Dino Melaye. But the euphoria that accompanied her was punctured with the shouts of, "Ole! Ole!" (i.e. "thief") led by Hon. Emmanuel Jime.
It soon became a ding-dong affair as Melaye and Jime engaged in a fisticuff.
Hon. Taiwo, who was seeking to hit Jime from behind, was however not as lucky; Jime rained blows on him, forcing him to fall.
When it became apparent that law and order had broken down at the venue, the speaker was hurriedly ferried out of the hall by her security men, necessitating the chairman of the panel to announce that the committee would take evidence from her behind closed doors.
The decision was, however, resisted by some members of the committee, but the sitting ended abruptly.
At the resumed plenary of the House, Hon. Leo Ogar (PDP, Delta) moved a motion under matters of privileges, citing Order 1 Rule 7, to condemn the action of Jime for using unparliamentary language against the speaker and prayed that the matter be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate and recommend appropriate sanctions to the House.
In his contribution, Olaka Nwogu (PDP, Rivers) supported the idea of referring the case to the committee. However, he canvassed that lawmakers who had no question to answer with the panel should stay away from the public hearing. According to him, the integrity of the entire legislature was at stake and it would be better for everyone to be cautious.
Austine Nwachukwu (PDP, Imo) said the reputation of the House had been rubbished. George Daika (PDP, Plateau) in his submission called for the suspension of Jime for a period of two weeks for using abusive language on a fellow lawmaker. He cited Order 9 Rule 7 of the House's standing rules to buttress his argument.
However, Stanley Ohajuruka (PPA, Abia) suggested that the House go into an executive session to allow members speak out so that the tension generated by the crisis could be doused.
Minority leader of the House, Mohammed Ndume, appealed to the lawmakers to allow the committee to carry out the assignment so that justice would prevail.
Dr. Mohammed Sani Abdu (ANPP, Bauchi), while contributing to the debate, cautioned against dividing the House into pro- and anti-Etteh groups, noting that the House, out of its wisdom, constituted a panel across party lines to investigate the allegations of corruption bordering on the award of contracts and nobody should interfere with their job.
Other members who contributed to the debate were Tam Brisibe (PDP, Delta), Suleiman Kawu (ANPP, Kano), Garba Matazu (PDP, Katsina) and Aminu Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto).
After about two hours of executive session, Etteh announced the resolutions of the House as follows: that members should refrain from making press statements, interviews and other comments on the contract controversy until the panel has submitted its report; that no meeting, either for or against the speaker and her leadership, should be called on the matter and only members or people invited by the panel shall henceforth be allowed into the venue of the sitting.
Speaker Etteh also announced that both Jime and Melaye apologised to the House for their untoward conduct and were pardoned.
The panel is expected to resume sitting today by 10 a.m. at the same venue, but LEADERSHIP could not confirm whether the speaker would still appear today. Attempts to get the chairman on phone were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, following the appeal by the chairman of the panel to the House for extension of time, the committee has been given additional days up until Tuesday to round off its assignment.
Idoko had told the plenary that the inability of the committee to secure a sitting venue delayed their work for a day just as the death of late Hon. Segun Oladimeji forced the panel to suspend sitting for two days. The initial two weeks given the committee expired on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a member of the panel, Hon. Rabe Umar, has assured that the committee will not compromise or succumb to any pressure from either side in the crisis.
Speaking on a BBC Hausa service interview monitored in Abuja yesterday, Umar said so far, no attempt had been made to influence the committee from any quarters.
By Philip Nyam, Abuja
Leadership
Friday, September 21, 2007
