THE re-organisation of House committees announced last Thursday by the Speaker, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, may have sealed the hope of a possible reconciliation by members , as indications are now pointing towards a fresh gang-up against the Speaker by aggrieved members.

Since Thursday when the Speaker reconstituted the House committees, members have been holding nocturnal meetings to impeach Bankole as those involved have started compiling the list of his alleged sins, which to them, are strong enough to cause his removal from office.
A meeting of anti-Bankole members which took place on Sunday in Abuja, Nigerian Tribune can report, resolved to issue the Speaker with a warning to stay off his seat by the time the House resumes from its two-week break, as they threatened Armageddon should he fail to do so.

Although the Nigerian First Forum (NFF), an opposition group in the House, has been polarised on the issue of the planned impeachment of the Speaker, it was learnt that a majority of members who met on Sunday were members of the group.

Honourable Dino Melaye, speaking on the issues, said members of the House had resolved that Bankole should resign voluntarily as speaker, to avoid heating the tense situation in the House.

He said since he had relieved Honourable Godwin Ndudi Elumelu of the chairmanship position on alleged misconduct, the speaker too ought to resign on the same ground.

Melaye said he had personally resolved to call Bankole to order on his manner of leadership, adding that he and some of his colleagues were of the view that since there were petitions against the speaker before the anti-corruption agencies, it was right for him to resign before being asked to do so.

Honourable Melaye, who referred to himself as the Jagunmolu of Okagi-Amuro of Kogi State, told the Nigerian Tribune that members of the House had declared war against the Speaker, adding that the House would be rendered ungovernable until he voluntarily resigned.

However, the House Chief Whip, Honourable Emeka Ihedioha, dismissed threats to remove the Speaker, saying that the House leadership was more committed to reconciliation of members and the consolidation of the gains of democracy as exemplified by the successful passage of bills on constitution amendment and electoral law in Nigeria.

He said the decision to re-organise the House committee was not taken by the Speaker alone, but was a collective one by the leadership, adding that the re-organi-sation would have long been effected but for some consideration.

Ihedioha appealed to members to maintain calm, as, according to him, the time between now and the  general election was too short for the House to start attending to diversionary issues.

The chief whip also appealed to the media to avoid any damaging reports on democracy and the National Assembly in general, noting that such reports would not do Nigeria any good.
He said reports on activities of the House should be verified and subjected to national interest before publication, in order to prevent those he referred to as enemies of democracy from using the media unduly.

Meanwhile, the face-off may have taken another dimension, as a text message threatening the lives of Bankole and his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Ebomhiana Musa, was allegedly received, at the weekend, from an unknown person.

In a statement credited to the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr Idowu Bakare, the message was said to have been sent to the mobile phone of Mr Musa on Saturday morning.

The message, which read: "Mr P.A., you and your boss are nothing but dead bodies, but you will be (sic) firstly face the consequences shortly, prepare your will now," according to the statement, was sent through the mobile phone number, 07039828940, from an anonymous sender.

The statement added that the aide to the speaker made efforts to reach the owner of the number "through repeated calls to the number, but the efforts proved abortive, as the owner refused to pick it."

He said the telephone was later switched off, apparently to ward off repeated calls.

It noted that the incident had been reported to the security aides of the speaker and other relevant security agencies in Abuja, adding that the speaker had been advised to take preventive measures to safeguard lives.


http://odili.net/news/source/2010/jun/7/601.html

It would seem like they are turning on themselves.

I love to see infighting.