Senate suspends Ndume for six months
The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday suspended former majority leader Senator Ali Ndume for six months for not ‘making due diligence’ before asking the upper chamber to investigate both the Senate President Bukola Saraki and the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Dino Melaye.
Ndume’s suspension followed the adoption of a recommendation made in a report the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges. The report was submitted on Wednesday during plenary.
The suspended senator had on March 21 called on the Senate to investigate Saraki over an allegation that an impounded sports utility vehicle imported into the country with fake documents belonged to him and Melaye over the allegation that his degree certificate was fake.
While presenting his case then, Ndume drew attention to a publication by an online medium, Sahara Reporters, that the impounded armoured Range Rover SUV which is said to worth N298m and that the insistence of the Senate that the Customs boss Hameed Ali appear before it in uniform is connected to his refusal to release the vehicle which was seized on January 17.
“The newspaper said the Senate is on vengeance after Nigeria Customs seized Senator Saraki’s bulletproof Range Rover over fake documents,” Ndume noted.
“My colleagues that are following events, particularly online, have seen or heard or read the rain of abuses on this Senate and the misconception of the fact that we invited the Customs boss based on a very unpopular policy that affects the people we represent, but now we are faced with this.
Senate’s ethics committee said on Wednesday that both claims by the newspaper were false and that the failure of Ndume to investigate the claims privately was unbecoming of a ranking lawmaker.
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6 Comments
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These goons in the Senate are a bunch of Insane psychos!
What a bunch of jokers we have in the Senate this time around. Their shenanigans used to be funny but now it’s downright pathetic. If it wasn’t for the sanctity of human lives, I would have wished Shekau pays them a visit one of these days! So Ndume is now to privately investigate an allegation made by Sahara reporters before drawing the attention of his colleagues to said publication? I mean how silly can they get? And nobody is talking about the containers of rice Uzodinma is trying to pass off as yeast.
Honestly you spoke my mind. What sort of democracy is this?
Sahara reporters making a frivolous accusations and was rightly ignored by the Senate is one thing. But, for Hon. Ndume to call for a probe based on an unsubstantiated online reports, places the burden of proof on him. In my opinion he was rightly sanctioned, like them or hate them the senate is an institution which integrity has to be upheld, it has nothing to do with individuals. Sometimes l wonder if Nigerians know what they’re secretly wishing for; a dictatorship government where the legislative and judicial arm of government is comatose.
Your basis of argument i will turn a blind eye. Topic for another day. But you saying “he was rightly sanctioned ” beats my wild imagination!
Are you even a Nigerian?!
So lets assume Ndume comes represents your senatorial district, it simply means (under a sane administration ) that you and your people don’t have a voice for the next 6months?! How now?!
Even privately owned entities dont suspend for 6months. Who does that?! {Answer sadly is Nigeria’s 8th Assembly }. And we have some people like you like them who thinks thats OK?! Thats the saddest part!
I just gave my opinion and you have the right to a diverse opinion. One, the Senate is not a private company, so you can’t compare Apple and Oranges, if the Senate’s order and rule book (their guide to internal governance ), allows for a senator to be suspended for 6 months, then you can only keep your contrary views to yourself. Moreover, if you’re from Hon.Ndume’s constituency, you can head to court and challenge the suspension quoting that your senatorial district “won’t have a voice for the next 6 months” and allow the judiciary invalidate the suspension.
Secondly, the “saddest part” indeed is that Nigerians are unknowingly enthroning dictatorship. I am not holding brief for the legislature or the judiciary, but, when aspersions is continually cast on these two other arms of government, then the people are calling for a dictatorship. Court orders are disobeyed, the legislature is expected to be a “rubber stamp” to endorse whatever the executive wants, then Nigeria better opt out of democracy and practice whatever the people wants.
The beauty of democracy is that in the US, a federal judge was able to”shut down” the president’s executive order on immigration and the executive agency; ICE compiled immediately, that is checks and balances in play. But, in Nigeria a court grants someone bail, the executive agency involved ignores it. The Senate rejects a candidate for a post (under the constitution they have the rights to accept or reject, without owing anybody explanantions), “then it is corruption fighting back”. DemoCRAZY at play.
We will review and take appropriate action.