House session turns violent
By Festus Owete
June 23, 2010 06:16AM
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In the full glare of students of City
Royal Secondary School Abuja who
had come to witness parliamentary
proceedings at the House of
Representatives yesterday,
supporters of the Speaker, Dimeji
Bankole brutalised and forcefully
ejected members who had
demanded that the leadership be
investigated for misappropriation.
Dino Melaye, Solomon Awhinawhi,
Austin Nwachukwu, Bitrus Kaze and
Doris Uboh, all members of the
‘‘progressive group’’ which two
weeks ago began the campaign to
force Mr Bankole to resign for
alleged corruption, were beaten up,
dragged out of the chamber, and
suspended indefinitely for unruly
behaviour.
The lawmakers were almost
stripped naked by the pro-Bankole
group as their clothes were torn up
in the process of bundling them out
of the hall. Chinyere Igwe (PDP,
Rivers), a supporter of Mr Bankole
had his right hand broken by Mr
Nwachukwu who also allegedly
attacked him with a fire
extinguisher. Both of them were
first admitted to the National
Assembly clinic before Mr Igwe was
later transferred to the National
Hospital, Abuja for further medical
examination.
Trouble began when shortly after
the commencement of the
proceedings at about 11.09 am,
more than one hour behind
schedule, Mr Bankole asked Chile
Igbauwa (PDP, Benue) to move a
motion.
But as Mr Igbauwa moved his
motion, Mr Melaye, who sensed
that it was aimed at suspending
him and members of his group,
rose from his seat and began to
shout, “point of order! No way! No
Way! We will not take it!’’ while
blowing a whistle, which he had
brought into the session.
He was joined by Mr Nwachukwu
and Ms. Uboh, who struggled to
take the paper from which Mr
Igbauwa was reading his motion.
Mr Melaye eventually grabbed the
paper from Mr Igbauwa, who was
sitting directly behind him, tore it
and threw it to the floor. Mr
Awhinawhi, who moved to the
front to grab the mace, the symbol
of legislative authority, was
stopped and severely beaten up.
Obviously overwhelmed by the
confusions that erupted, Mr Bankole
adjourned the session and
attempted to leave the chamber
through the back door which is
behind his seat, but was asked to
follow the normal front door. He
was, however, persuaded by his
loyalists, who perceived that such
action would be interpreted as
victory for ‘‘the progressives’’, to
return to his seat.
Upon his return, the Speaker
announced the suspension of the
‘‘progressive’’ members and
directed the Serjeant-at-Arms to
take them out of the chamber. The
suspended lawmakers, who were
further infuriated, refused to leave,
prompting the pro-Bankole
lawmakers led by Ishyaku Bawa, a
PDP member from Taraba State, to
bundle them out of the chamber,
one after the other. In the process,
members of both camps were
injured.
Lawmakers suspended
Mr Nwachukwu, who was being
forced out of the chambers, lifted
Chinyere Igwe up and smashed
him on the floor. Mr Igwe, who was
now bleeding, broke an arm in the
process. Ms Uboh, on her part, was
pushed down by Mr Bawa while
Messrs Melaye and Awhinawhi
were manhandled before being
bundled out. Mr Kaze, all the while
was left alone, was suddenly
identified by some members who
bundled him out, tearing his dress
in the process.
After they were sent out, Mr
Bankole, who had watched quietly
from his seat, called the House to
order at exactly 11.45 am and
apologised to Nigerians for the
rowdiness of the members.
He said, “First, I must start by
apologising to Nigerians for the
rowdiness of today’s session. But
for the avoidance of doubt, we will
still ask Igbauwa to go through the
process (moving of motion) for
clarity.’’
Invoking Order 5 of the House
Standing Rules, Section 60 of the
1999 Constitution and Section 24 of
the Legislative Houses (Powers and
Privileges) Act, Mr Igbauwa called
for the suspension of 11 members
of the opposing group for failing to
follow the rules of the House in
their activities and for causing their
wild allegations to be published in
the media.
He argued that since the House will
outlive all its members, it behoves
on members to cherish, respect and
protect its image and integrity and
hold sacrosanct its standing orders
and rules and above all the
constitution of the country, which
they all swore to uphold.
He added, “While relevant sections
of the 1999 Constitution guarantee
the freedom of opinion and
expression, it must be done within
the context of procedure so as not
to infringe on the rights and
privileges of others, in this case,
members of the House, I hereby
move that the House resolve to
suspend the following members.”
The motion, which was seconded
by Shehu Garba Matazu (PDP,
Katsina) was unanimously adopted.
Those suspended are Dino Melaye,
Solomon Awhinawhi, Austin
Nwachukwu, Bitrus Kaze and Doris
Uboh. Others are Ehiogie West-
Idahosa, Independence Ogunewe,
Abba Anas, Gbenga Oduwaiye,
Kayode Amusan and Gbenga
Onigbogi.
Messrs Onigbogi, Oduwaiye and
Onigbogi were not known to have
participated in the activities of the
‘‘progressives’’ though they were
allegedly aggrieved after their
removal from committee
leadership two weeks ago.
Interestingly, Ralph Okeke,
Darlington Okereke and Asita
Honourable, who were also at the
press conference where the
progressive gave Mr Bankole
seven days ultimatum to resign,
escaped sanction.
It was the second time Mr
Ogunewe would be suspended in
the last 18 months.
Principle of reasonable force
House spokesperson, Eseme
Eyiboh, who briefed journalists after
the sitting said the trio were not
suspended because the decision to
suspend the members was not
premised on the press conference
two weeks ago but on the unruly
behaviour of the ‘‘progressive’’
members on the floor.
Mr Eyiboh, who was accompanied
to the press conference by Farouk
Lawan, Cyril Maduabum, Oluwole
Oke and Mikail Binitishahi,
explained that the House acted in
line with the rules of the House.
According to him, the lawmakers
who were suspended should have
moved out of the chamber
immediately, but instead conducted
themselves in a manner that was
inconsistent with parliamentary
procedure. According to him, while
Mr Nwachukwu came into the
chamber with tear gas, which can
be interpreted as arm bearing, Mr
Melaye came with a whistle,
stressing that this is “un-
parliamentary and misdemeanor.”
On the beating up of the
progressive members, Mr Eyiboh
said it was done within the principle
of law and reasonable force. “A
man who bears arms is also
violating the law. They were
ordinarily going through the
reasonable force of the law,” he
said.
Also speaking, Mr Lawan, who
chairs the Integrity Group that
spearheaded the removal of
former Speaker Patricia Etteh three
years ago, said the suspension of
the progressive members has
nothing to do with the fact that
they made corruption allegations
against Mr Bankole to the EFCC, but
because they “have become a
source of irritation and distraction
to the House.” He regretted that
the suspended lawmakers did not
avail themselves of the standing
rules of the House, adding that the
lower chamber is an institution with
committees which can resolve such
matters whenever they arise.
Reacting to their suspension, Mr
Melaye said his group will go to
court to challenge the action of the
House. “It is the height of tyranny;
what they accuse us of, Eseme
Eyiboh and Dimeji Bankole are
guilty of talking to the press. There
is nowhere in our rules that says
we cannot talk to the press.
(Halims) Agoda did the same. We
shall not allow this. They refuse to
react to our allegation instead they
suspended us. This is collaborative
tyranny.”
Last night the police arrested Mr
Melaye and Mr Nwachukwu in
connection with the fracas and
sealed of their offices.