The Senate erupted on Thursday over President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim that killer-herdsmen who continue to torment some states of the federation were trained by late Libyan leader, Muammar Gadaffi. Buhari reportedly told the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, in Abuja House in London on Wednesday that the killer-herdsmen terrorising the country were trained and armed by late Gadaffi.
The President was also quoted as saying that when Gadaffi was killed, the gunmen escaped with their arms to parts of West African countries including Nigeria.
But Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe drew the attention of his colleagues to the remarks credited to the President, alluding to the omission by him on anchoring the menace by Fulani herdsmen against Nigeria as the handiwork of late Ghadafi. Abaribe said Nigerians have been over indulging the President notwithstandig what he described as signs of his weakness to protect the country.
He then dropped the bombshell: “This chamber has discussed the killings in Nigeria. I recall that on the matter of herdsmen and farmers’ clashes, two explanations were given by highly ranked security personnel. The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, said that these killings were as a result of laws being passed by states.
“Secondly, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said that these killings were as a result of the blockage of grazing routes. And we continued to look at all these explanations.
“Yesterday, in London, the Commander-in-Chief and President of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari said that these killings were as a result of the people who were trained by Muammar Gaddafi. “Mr. President was implying that these people who are doing the killings in Nigeria are invaders from outside of Nigeria.
“If so, it validates my point in this chamber that when a Commander-in-Chief says he cannot take care of invaders, why is he still a Commander-in-Chief? “Why do we still continue to indulge this president that goes around to tell everybody outside this country that he is totally incompetent? It is obvious…” Senators who could not contain the criticism of President Buhari by Abaribe were heard murmouring while some attempted to heckle him as he spoke, just to prevent him from further verbal abuse on the President.
But Abaribe stood his ground and insisted on having his way. The development prompted the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, to quickly raised a Point of Order to cut Abaribe short. Lawan raised Order 53 (7) on the need to avoid the use of offensive words in the Senate.
He said: “The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the leader of this country and deserves the respect and courtesy of this chamber and those of us in it. I was once a member of the opposition and I do not recall ever calling the then President incompetent or insult him.
“This is our institution. If we do not conduct ourselves with respect, nobody will. I want to ask my colleague to immediately withdraw his statement and apologise to this chamber”.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, made spirited efforts to prevent situation from getting out of control between Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP Abia South) and some APC senators. While intervening, Saraki asked Abaribe to be guided as an elder statesman. He said it was obvious that Abaribe used certain words that were unacceptable.
The Senate President asked Abaribe if he had concluded his submissions as tempers continued to rise in the Red Chamber. Saraki added: “We can make our points without using words that are offensive.
Please be guided accordingly.” Abaribe not wanting to give up easily, blurted further: “I am very well guided by you but there are words that there are no alternatives to. What I did was to interpret the words by Mr. President in London.
If any word I used is misunderstood by anyone, I apologise”. The Abia Senator was however chided by his colleagues who continued to heckle at every remarks he made. Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, raised another Point of Order aimed at stopping Abaribe from continuing on his line of action.
Na’Allah said that Senators are forbidden by the rule to discuss the conduct of the President or judicial officers without a substantive motion. Saraki sustained Na’Allah’s Point of Order to halt Abaribe’s submission. Some senators were seen crowding Abaribe’s seat after Saraki’s ruling in apparent move to prevail on him to end his anti-Buhari remarks. Saraki quickly signalled on Senate Leader to move to the next item on the Order Paper.
Meanwhile, the Senate has used its sledge hammer against Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central) and suspended the senator for 90 days. His earlier plea for mercy notwithstanding, Senate on Thursday suspended Senator Omo-Agege for castigating the Upper Chamber on opposition to the sequence of elections allegedly targeted on the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Senate also outlawed the “Parliamentary Support Group for Buhari,” under which Senator Omo-Agege and some of his colleagues had operated in recent months in demonstration of their allegiance to Buhari. Omo-Agege and nine other Senators had earlier criticised the stance by the Senate on re-ordering of elections timetable for the 2019 general elections in which case the National Assembly election was ordered first, followed by that of the State Assembly elections and lastly the Presidential election.
The Senate took the hard stance against Omo-Agege after it adopted the report of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on a complaint by Senator Dino Melaye that he had insulted the Senate leadership through a press conference, claiming that the amendment to the INEC Act 2010 was targeted at President Buhari.
Although Senator Omo-Agege had apologised during Senate Plenary, his colleagues took offence that he, nonetheless proceeded to court to challenge the decision of the Senate to refer his case to the Ethics and Privileges committee. Some Senators who were opposed to Omo-Agege had even recommended 181 days of suspension against him for disregarding the committee and heading to court.
Incidentally, Senator Ovie-Omo Agege is also a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions. But punishment for the embattled Senator was pegged at 90 days following intervention from Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, and Senator Kabiru Marafa, who pleaded for leniency on his behalf.
President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki while ruling on the matter, urged his colleagues to exercise more caution whenever they engage in any action or commitment.
He said: “I think in this chamber, if we want to talk about who has the right to even say he is chairman of the parliamentary support group for Mr. President both by action and by what we have done, I think I have the right to be that than anybody else here. But those of us that understand the politics, that because of some times, our own peculiar interest, we desire sometimes that we are holier than thou or more committed but at the expense of others, that is not something we should tolerate.
“And I believe that in an institution like this, we must show that discipline, but at the same time, there must be compassion. We must show that such group must be suspended. The case in court also, must be withdrawn. And in consideration of that, we can look at the leniency of what was recommended.”
The Senate President also gave insight into the implications of the resolution reached based on the consideration of numerous factors touching on the matter. “I think there should be no more of this kind of groups in this Senate. Secondly, the issue of court actions must be addressed and three, we are to show that we are not in any hurry to take anybody away from this family, and four, we must lay example by showing that there is discipline, and apply some form of discipline in this matter,” Saraki added. Senate also adopted a resolution mandating Senator Ovie-Omo Agege to withdraw the case he instituted in court against the Senate and the President of the Senate.
