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Ohuabunwa urges caution on Senate Rule Book

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja
08 July 2015   |   2:59 am
SENATOR Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP, Abia North) has called on his colleagues in the upper legislative chamber to be cautious in addressing the issue of alleged forgery of Senate Rule book 2015 for which the deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has been invited by the police.
Ohuabunwa

Ohuabunwa

SENATOR Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP, Abia North) has called on his colleagues in the upper legislative chamber to be cautious in addressing the issue of alleged forgery of Senate Rule book 2015 for which the deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has been invited by the police.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, Ohuabunwa also urged the Police to exercise restraints in the manner it wades into matters concerning the internal workings of the Senate.

Ohuabunwa, who was a former House of Representatives’ Deputy Majority Leader, described as unfortunate the invitation extended to Ekweremadu on the matter.

He said, “I think the Police should be careful in handling this matter because I know that the law is clear that for all activities that take place at the National Assembly or on the floor of the Senate or in the chamber cannot be used as evidence against any Senator. That is why when you speak, when you see people fight on the floor the police is not involved because it is a place emotion will play a role.

“If any thing happened, the police have a division at the National Assembly, there is the bureaucracy, the National Assembly management headed by the Clerk to the National Assembly.”

He explained that since the 2015 rule was handed over to Senators during the inauguration of Senate, “it was wrong to accuse any Senator of having played a role in producing that Rule book.”

According to Ohuabunwa, “The whole issue is unfortunate. Some of us do not really understand what is happening. But some of these things might be politics. Don’t also forget that since the emergence of the Deputy Senate President, the ruling party has been very uncomfortable. It is quite unfortunate because there is nothing untoward in the eyes of those behind the petition that the Senate and Senators cannot resolve.

“If you are talking of the rule, it is the rule of the Senate as at today because we have been inaugurated. So if there are amendments, you raise the amendment on the floor and it will be debated. There is nothing sacrosanct that says that 2011 rule must be used for 2015.‎”

The lawmaker explained that immediately after the 7th Senate was dissolved, it was only the National Assembly bureaucracy that was in charge since no Senator elect had been sworn in.

“It should also be noted that at the end of the 7th National Assembly, the bureaucracy took over. It is the bureaucracy that swears in the presiding officers. Until you are sworn in you have no powers. Whatever that may have happened should be a responsibility of the bureaucracy.

“Ekweremadu should be able to answer questions on what happens after his inauguration, he should not answer question on issues that took place when he was not even a Senator at the expiration of the 7th Assembly.

“All I am saying is that if there are issues, the Senators should resolve it. I also know that the rule after the bureaucracy has handed over to us becomes our document and we now have power to amend it if need be and where necessary. Before then, the rule is like a document of the bureaucracy. When you are sworn in and you look at the rule book if there are areas you disagree with, it is within your power to call for amendment.”

While cautioning his colleagues over the matter, Ohuabunwa said, “somebody is faulting the emergence of Ekweremadu based on the rule book, it means that every other Senator that was inaugurated using the same rule should be involved.

“If you are faulting the rule, it was based on the same rule that all of us were inaugurated. It was the same rule that brought in the Senate President. So if you are faulting it, it means that all of us have not even been inaugurated. And if you have not been inaugurated, you are not even supposed to speak as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The fact remains that if you are against any section of the rule, you raise it for debate‎”

13 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    It is clear from Senator Mao Ohuabunwa statement above that the Senate Rule Book was fraudulently adjusted without the 7th Senate approval. The question the police should find out is; who amended or gave approval to the Clark of the NASS to carry out the fraudulent activity?

    • Author’s gravatar

      Thank you for reading between the lines. Ekweremadu is a fraud like Mao Ohuabunwa.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Ade, Mao never said there is forgery. A document was prepared by the Bureaucracy of the Senate. The office of the Clerk of the National Assembly will produce initial document to elect officers and inaugurate the House. The House can amend it as they want. The past House Rule seizes to exist on the expiration of the House and for any incoming House a new rule will be made. The challenge is for forgery to happen there should be a valid document but there is none as the House is not in place. Let us have an open mind to see things in an unbiased manner.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Senator Ohuabunwa said: “If you are faulting the rule, it was based on the same rule that all of us were inaugurated. It was the same rule that brought in the Senate President. So if you are faulting it, it means that all of us have not even been inaugurated. And if you have not been inaugurated, you are not even supposed to speak as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Someone is now thinking right. All Senators have, as a result of the Senate rule forgery, not been properly inaugurated. So, dissolve the Senate and start afresh with the rule forgers in jail..

  • Author’s gravatar

    Weird logic from a so-called lawmaker! Our House of Assembly is a kind of jungle where might is right. All manner of crime may be committed there with impunity, since the criminal is protected by the bogey of power separation. The sordid fisticuffs in the House may soon result in someone’s demise and we’ll see who will start accusing the police of turning a blind eye for failing to intervene promptly. Our National Assembly is some kind of Banana Republic within the Republic of Nigeria! Pitiable.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Well spoken, erudite lawmaker. I THINK THE ISSUES ARE CLEARER NOW.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Neither well reasoned nor well spoken, rather, Nigeria’s present and future is in jeopardy in the hands of deceitful political jobbers erroneously tagged senators and honourables who know next to nothing about the office they occupy. May I never refer to any of the characters as honourables or excellencies because they are dishonourable and odious. Why are these merchants of falsehood always scared and jittery of application of rule of law whenever they are alleged to have engaged in criminality? The defence being put up by Mao is illogical, does the bureaucracy make rules for the senate or is it the other way round ? As a matter of fact, except for very few members in the senate and house, the characters called lawmakers are capable of any despicable conducts, we have seen enough in Nigeria. Where is Farouk Lawan whose corrupt tendencies was exposed by Femi Otedola? Is it not funny Stella Oduah is a senator in Nigeria today? So also is Buruji Kasamu. For all their acts, whether already proved or not, it is witch hunt, a new lexicon that has just entered into the dictionary of corrupt politicians in Nigeria.

    The police should be allowed to do their job as is the practice all over the world. If truly Ekweremadu is found guilty of forgery, he should be immediately punished. In Canada, several senators have been on the roll call of the police, they have been charged to court for making inappropriate expense claims of amounts so small and insignificant when compared to what is stolen in Nigeria everyday.

    People like Mao with his manner of reasoning should not be found near headquarters of a local government not to talk of Nigerian senate, a man of integrity will not be defending the indefensible, his defence is tainted by tribalism. Personalities who romance corruption and falsehood should be entered into the black book of Nigeria politics and must be barred from participating in public life.

    • Author’s gravatar

      do you read all the statement or are you speaking out of degraded mind of tribalism.hear him 7th senate stop to exist before election and inaugurated days so rules for election are submitted by clerk and bureaucracy ,and it is the same rule that brought all of them to senate leadership includes senate president so senate on proceed meeting can debate and change any un wanted rule among themselves and not police work for there is no crime committed yet. and warned you it is high time we set example to canada and not canada to set example for nigeria. Biafra is nation i stand for.nigeria is a fake nation

  • Author’s gravatar

    This is unbelievable, what is bureaucracy in the national assembly? Bureaucracy altered the senate rules book? Fraud or Forgery can not be substituted with Bureaucracy. Police investigation must uncover the conspiracy that led to the forgery which ultimately altered the change we voted for in Nigeria. National assembly clerk should be made to face the music and all his collaborators too. This naked impunity must stop now. We want rule of law, justice, fairness and equity. If this is the only thing this government can put in place for the Nation then we shall be better for it.

  • Author’s gravatar

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  • Author’s gravatar

    Isn’t it ironic that only one rule was changed by the clerk of the house, the one that made Ekweremadu the deputy senate leader and how I had wish he changed the rule that all the Allowances for the senators are cancelled and see if they will abide by it
    God bless Nigeria