The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Sunday warned the federal government and security agencies that they must ensure nothing happens to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

The NLC gave the warning in a statement by its president, Abdulwahid Omar.

Mr. Omar described the withdrawal of Mr. Tambuwal’s security details as “shameful, distasteful, unconstitutional and demonstrates our parochial sense of power and very little knowledge of history.”

The Speaker’s security details were withdrawn by the police because he left Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.

Since that decision by the police, ostensibly under the instruction of President Goodluck Jonathan to whom the police chief reports, the government has come under attack by political, labour, and human rightsgroups including the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, and now the NLC.

Read Mr. Omar’s full statement below:

We at the Nigeria Labour Congress are appalled by the
withdrawal of security details of the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, ostensibly
because he had decamped to the All Progressives
Congress, APC.

The act is shameful, distasteful, unconstitutional and
demonstrates our parochial sense of power and very
little knowledge of history.

No part of the constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria says the Speaker of the House of Representatives should come from the majority party.

Section 50(1)(b) only says, ” There shall be …a Speaker
and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives,
who shall be elected by the members of that House from
among themselves…”

In the Second Republic, the Honourable Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, was
elected from the ranks of NPP, not just an opposition
party but the third strong , after UPN and NPN. We
have other precedents across the world.

We find it appropriate to cite the examples of Mimiko
and Ali Modu-Sheriff, governor of Ondo State and
former governor of Borno State respectively. Their
security details were not withdrawn when they decamped
to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

It gives us concern that our political leaders are
determined to learn very little about democracy and
always seem too keen to overheat the polity over things
that count for little.

The police and other security agencies complicit in this
disgusting conduct should hold their heads in shame.
Herein lies the essence of strong institutions which we
have always advocated.

For those who take pleasure in converting to personal
use, public/state institutions, today’s men soon become
yesterday’s men. What goes around, comes around.
In light of the foregoing, we demand immediate
restoration of Tambuwal’s security detail and all the
rights and privileges that accrue to the Office of the
Speaker. It is not about Tambuwal, it is about the office
which he holds.

And in any case, only few, arguably will contest that he
has not discharged and acquitted himself as speaker.
We would like to be on record that we will not fold our
hands while little minds threaten our hard-earned
democracy. Nothing should happen to Tambuwal.

Signed
Comrade Abdulwahid Omar
President


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/170494-nlc-spits-fire-says-nothing-should-happen-to-tambuwal.html

Gboliwe:
Oga NLC presido, something like what? What do you have in mind?

Anyway sha, its democracy plus freedom of speech, anybody can rant. So, carry on.

egift:
As stated before, most of Jonathan's troubles are self inflicted. No matter how big or small an issue is, Jonathan must mismanage it.

Apart supporting corruption, shielding boko haram sponsors and other criminals, there is no single issue Jonathan has ever managed effectively. Just a simple defection of one man, President Jonathan has debased the constitution, Police how accord itself the role of the court, members of the house are now offer outrageous incentives, the live of the Speaker of Nigeria's House of Reps is now endangered, we lost the second largest town in Adamawa the president don't care.

Jonathan is a failure. Vote out the Zoologist.