Expectations of drama were high. And the House of Representatives session lived up to the billing yesterday. For about one-and-a-half hours, the House of Representatives Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, was held hostage by her colleagues over her decision to adjourn proceedings in controversial circumstances.
The drama began with Etteh's attempt to preside over the Assembly's debate on the report of the panel that investigated contracts for the renovation of her official residence and that of her deputy, Babangida Nguroje, a move which a section of her colleagues resisted.
In the confusion, and not giving any indication of readiness to step down while the matter is debated, Etteh adjourned sitting until tomorrow.
But the opposition camp in the House would have none of that. They blocked all routes out of the chamber and barred the Sergeant-at-Arms from lifting the mace, which is procedurally used to lead the presiding officer in or out of the Assembly.
After a long-drawn stand-off, the pro-Etteh legislators had to give firm assurances to the opposition camp that the Speaker would step down today, before the latter group allowed the adjournment to stand.
Nguroje was conspicously absent yesterday. His Special Assistant on Media, Hameed Bello, explained that the Deputy Speaker had gone to the Presidential Villa to represent the House leadership at an emergency meeting.
The Speaker had entered the chamber at 10.40 a.m., said the opening prayers and asked for members with petitions to submit them. But as soon as she announced that the only business of the day was the consideration of the report of the nine-man panel that investigated the controversial contracts, the Minority Leader of the House, Mohammed Ali Ndume, cited Order 5 of the Rules of the chamber which borders on the privileges of members. He expressed disappointment that as part of the process of restoring peace in the chamber, the members had resolved at an executive session that press war on the issue should be discontinued to allow the House deal with the report in a dispassionate manner.
Ndume noted that rather than adhere to the resolution, the Speaker's camp had been taking positions on the report which was yet to be discussed by the whole House. "The report has not been considered by the House but members, including the Speaker using her aides, have made statements. What happened to the resolution? Who will consider the report again after the Speaker has spoken?" he queried.
Ndume said the opposition had been accused of compromise in the matter hence its decision to keep quiet. Asserting that his group was only interested in doing that which was right, the Minority Leader moved that the Speaker should step aside so that a Speaker pro-tempore could preside over the debate.
Etteh was about reporting to the chamber that a motion was on the floor when Sada Soli from Katsina called for another point of order. At this point, members of the opposition raised an objection that it was procedurally wrong for the Speaker to abandon the first motion without ruling on it and proceed and take another motion.
Soli wanted to continue with his motion shouting Order 7, but the opposition burst into a song, saying: "All we are saying is Speaker step down".
After a while, they changed the tune to Ose, Ose o, Oseo-o, ma'lo (which means: "Thanks, thanks, but leave.")
Initially, the Speaker sat swinging and smiling on her swivel chair while the Chief Whip, Bethel Amadi, shouted "order, order" several times trying to call members to their seats. But when there was no sign that the members were ready to accept the order, Amadi and other principal officers went to the Speaker's seat to confer with her. When Amadi returned to his seat and continued to appeal to members who were singing to take their seats, a member of the opposition, Kanayo Oguakwa from Enugu State, went to Amadi's seat and blocked his microphone.
They sang and danced, shouting: "All we are saying is Etteh must go", as more members continued to hold consultations with the Speaker by her seat.
The opposition added another dimension to their strategy at about 11.25 a.m. when they started singing the National Anthem at intervals and when it became obvious that the disorder was not going to stop, Etteh, on the advice of some of her supporters at 11.43 a.m., called on the Leader, Tunde Akogun, to move for adjournment which he did.
But this worsened the situation because when the Speaker wanted to leave, some members of the opposition namely Oguakwa, Linda Ikpazu, Halims Agoda and Mercy Almona-Isei and later joined by other members of the group went and blocked the mace.
The Speaker's procession out of the chamber could therefore not take place. This triggered another scene as the Speaker and her entourage could not pass and she was advised by some of her supporters to go back to her seat.
The opposition also blocked other routes to the entrance and exit. The Speaker was forced to go back to her seat at 11.45 a.m. As she sat watching the drama, the members of the opposition who stopped the mace from leaving the chamber took their turns to keep vigil over the place.
Dino Melaye, a staunch supporter of the Speaker also stood before the opposition members watching over the mace apparently to stop them from attempting to take away the symbol of authority. Members of both camps held several meetings with a view to working out a solution without results.
At 12.40 p.m., the Leader of the opposition which goes under the name of Integrity Group, Farouk Lawan, and the Leader of the House, Akogun, met. Lawan was told to report to his group that the pro-Etteh camp had agreed that the Speaker should step aside but there was a need for the House to adjourn properly and meet later yesterday so that the procedure for today's proceedings could be worked out. Based on this, the House adjourned.
Addressing journalists after the session, Lawan said yesterday was the beginning of the days of victory for the National Assembly and the entire country. He pledged that the lawmakers who toed the path of integrity would insist on the right thing to be done. He noted the leadership of the House allowed a two-week break so as to play politics with the matter but added that, that was not enough to break their resolve. He added that both sides had agreed on the imperative of a Speaker pro-tempore and would meet last night to work out the process for the emergence.
Lawan vowed that whoever was found culpable of any financial impropriety must face the law. "Without fear, we want to assure that we will allow ourselves to talk on how the Speaker pro-tempore will emerge to preside over the report. We must redeem our image. We will continue on this path of honour so that we can continue to enjoy the confidence of Nigerians. Whoever is found guilty must face the law", he said.
Former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole who witnessed yesterday's session, commended the members of the Integrity Group. He pledged that Labour would not hesitate to mobilise Nigerians to ensure that Etteh was removed. Oshiomhole added that from the situation in the House, "the Speaker should be in the Nigerian prison".
Also yesterday, the South-South Caucus of the House called on the Speaker to reign. It stressed that, that was the only way the caucus could continue to be part of the chamber.
Addressing journalists with other members of the caucus, the chairman, Andrew Uchendu, said: "We have met and taken a critical look at the situation in the House. What happened today took us many years back. We all agreed that the report should be considered. We had expected the Speaker to step down but since she did not do that, we have decided that the Speaker should resign immediately."
The chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enag, said the adjournment was to allow both sides agree on the modality for tackling the problem. "We commend all the members for the way the issue was handled", adding: "We adjourned for us to meet and arrive at the proper process to be used tomorrow (today)."
Before the debate proper began yesterday, a mild drama took place when a member of the opposition, Emmanuel Jimeh moved a motion citing Order 9, Rule 12 that deals with mode of dressing for members in the chamber. He drew the attention of the members to the manner in which a member, Dino Melaye from Kogi was dressed and urged the Speaker to ask the legislator to excuse them. Melaye wore a pair of blue jeans trousers with a blazer and a hat. But Amadi said that Melaye was properly dressed. The Kogi-born legislator later went and changed to a pair of black trousers. One other member, Kanayo Oguakwa reminded the House that he had written to the Speaker resigning his position as Chairman of the Committee on States and Local Governments. Etteh said that she had referred the letter to the appropriate quarters.
From John Abba Ogbodo, Abuja
The Guardian
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
