The recent unilateral and dictatorial order for the withdrawal of all security details thus exposing the Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal’s life to danger and possible threats has been condemned in all its ramifications. Making this condemnation last weekend was the Hausa Community in Imo State.
When approached by newsmen to comment on the directive of the Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) ordering immediate withdrawal of all security apparatchik around the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, a leader of the Hausa Community, Alhaji Yussuf Madaki stated that the directive is ill-motivated and capable of causing tension and catastrophe. Alhaji Yussuf Madaki explained that PDP by such attitude is playing crude politics if they could go to such extremes to expose the Speaker to such level of danger and hazard.
According to him, what he heard the Speaker did was to change his political party and that he never resigned as the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. He opined that even as an ex-speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal is statutorily entitled to security personnel for his safety as the number 4 citizen of the country. Alhaji Yussuf Madaki recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had previously encouraged similar threats and exposed the lives of the Governors of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, that of his Rivers State counterpart, Chief (Barr) Chibuike Amaechi, to obvious threats and dangers when he clandestinely took similar actions which were described by a cross-section of Nigerians as crude, infantile, barbaric and undemocratic. He then attempted to educate, inform and enlighten a completely uninformed and ignorant President Goodluck Jonathan, that in a democracy, the only way to remove an elected member of the state or National Assembly is through impeachment or the resort to the judiciary for interpretation of any action that runs foul of the law. The rule of law, he said, is paramount and as important a tenet of democracy, as the right to expression, freedom of association or right to a choice of leadership. He decried the gradual slide despotic and dictatorial tendencies our President is regretably assuming of late.
He then cautioned that the PDP runs the risks of truncating our nascent Democratic if they should continue in this manner which was why Nigerians are determined not to allow another military rule in the country, saying, “In 2015, I will advise Nigerians not to vote for the PDP since they have proved by their actions that they are anti democrats”. He then pleaded with President Goodluck Jonathan to demonstrate that he was unaware of the action of the acting Inspector General of Police by re-instating the Speaker’s security details especially in the face of wide outrage and condemnation of such totalitarianism.
Reports also have it that the leadership of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned in its entirety the withdrawal of the security details of Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, saying this can cause anarchy and political crisis if not managed well.
NLC described the induced action of the acting Inspector General as of Police unconstitutional and shameful. They further stated that the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives must not be elected on the platform of the majority party in the House.
NLC also went ahead to cite the instance when Chief Edwin Umezuoke was elected the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives between 1979-1983. Though he was elected an NPP member, the NPN had the majority of members of the Federal House of Representatives and that despite the breakdown in the Accord between NPP and NPN, no attempt was made to remove him as Speaker.
It was at this situation and the fear of possible breakdown of law and order that the NLC regards the attempt of the Goodluck Jonathan led PDP as biased and capable of incubating wide-spread instability since they did not force Dr. Olusegun Mimiko the governor of Ondo State to vacate office when he defected to the PDP recently, nor did they force the Speaker to quit.
However, Hon. Zakari Mohammed the House of Representatives spokesman, has warned that any attempt to reconvene the House before December 3, 2014, will spell doom for the protagonists. Speaking to newsmen, Zakari Mohammed said that the House rules and constitution are very clear on that and provide that only the Speaker, has the prerogative powers to reconvene the House after it adjourned officially.
Courtesy: Community Watchdog Newspaper
