THE House of Representatives was thrown into rowdy session on Wednesday, following a motion by the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Orker Jev over alleged infringement of right and privileges of members by the former chairman on appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin.
Jibrin had accused the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, the deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, the Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa and the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor of being behind alleged padding of the 2016 budget.
After the rowdy session, the House, presided over by Speaker Dogara resolved to refer the matter and Jibrin to its Committee on Ethics and Privileges for proper investigation. The committee is to report its findings and make appropriate recommendations to the House within one week.
Jibrin has however, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said he would not appear before the committee unless it would sit in public.
Jev in the motion had stated that the privileges of members, practices, precedents were breached by Jibrin and that the punishment for the act was suspension for not less than six months.
But he was interrupted by Jibrin supporters led by Aliyu Madaki representing Dala Federal Constituency of Kano State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who was shouting point of order to stop him from making his motion.
This threw the House into rowdy session as supporters of Dogara urged Jeff to go ahead while supporters of Jibrin who were few and members of the Transparent Group made spirited but unsuccessful efforts to stop the motion.
Jev who moved the motion about 11:48am had in his introductory remarks having read the mood of the House stated that there were expectations especially from the media that the House was going to be rowdy, adding, that “We will disappoint them.”
The House became rowdy immediately he said, “I am asking for permission to move a motion on the collective breaches of privileges of members” as there was the repeated shout of ‘No’ from the Jibrin’s supporters.
For about one hour, the House was rowdy with sergeant-at-arms, forming ring around the Mace to protect it, but this did not deter Jev who went ahead to read his motion which was later passed through a resounding voice vote and referred to the Ossai Nicholas Ossai-led Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
As the melee was on, Jibrin immediately left the chamber while supporters of Dogara who had overwhelming members started the distribution of green colour muffler bearing the name of the Speaker.
The motion calling for the investigation of Jibrin was titled, “Breach of privileges of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (the House); breach of members of the House of Representatives; breach of the practices, precedents and usages of the House of Representatives and sundry acts of misconduct against the members and institution of the House of Representatives and National Assembly; breach of the provisions of the legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, Cap. L12, LFN.”
In the motion, Jev noted that Jibrin was relieved of his appointment as Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation on 21st July, 2016 and that following his removal, he allegedly embarked on a campaign of calumny and denigration by making false and scandalous statements and publications in the print, electronic media and internet against the entire membership and the institution of the House of Representatives and National Assembly as institutions.
Among some of the statements and publications allegedly made by Jibrin against some persons and the institution where he said, “I repeat, there is massive individual and institutional corruption in the House of Representatives aided and abetted by Speaker Dogara” which was posted on his Facebook page on August 13, 2016.
Also offensive to the House was the alleged statement by Jibrin where he was quoted to have said on August 21, 2016 that, “It is a known fact that legislative investigation is used as an avenue to extort money in an organised crime aided and abetted by Mr. Speaker.”
Concluding Jev said, “The above statements are contemptuous of the House of Representatives as an institution. Punishment is suspension not less than six months.”
