There was a mild drama on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday as some aspirants for the position of the Speaker of the 10th Assembly amongst others kicked against the unilateral decision of the outgoing Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to adjourn legislative activities.
According to the aggrieved lawmakers, the repeated adjournment of legislative activities was to avert purported sinister move to impeach the Speaker over the imposition of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu as preferred candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th Assembly.
Hon. Gbajabiamila who presided over plenary after weeks of recess, after reading two communications from President Muhammadu Buhari including:
Trouble started after Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (APC-Ogun) raised a Point of Order, Rule 6, Order 1 and 2 on matter of privileges.
“My point of order is that today as we speak induction program is on going at the ICC center which I am privileged together with other members to be part of Batch B.
“Last week because of this same programme the House adjourned, the plenary was not in session but today because of the plenary I have to be here while this programme Ia ongoing
“I can not be properly accommodated on the Programme at the induction ground alongside plenary.
“That is why I am coming under order of privileges order 6,1,2,3. Mr. Speaker, my prayer is that the House do adjourn to allow us participate in the programme,” he said.
To this end, Hon. Isiaka urged the House to reconvene after the programme, saying, “I am not the only victim of this, there are other members who are complaining about their privileges. I so move.”
In a swift reaction to the motion, a member of the G7 and incumbent Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Wase, argued that the adjournment was “needless”.
Hon. Wase who maintained that the adjournment was not proper, observed that the induction could be going on simultaneously with plenary just like it was done at the Senate.
He said: “I respect the view of distinguished colleague, Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka who moved for the adjournment, but I think Mr. Speaker this institution have a lot memories.
“There have never been a time because of induction the House suspended plenary.
“I don’t know the rate of attrition in terms of those who are back to the House compared to those who are now not returning, that we have to adjourn the House because of induction.
“I think there are many issues in the country that we need to face and tackle, we are running out Mr. Speaker, we have just today and tomorrow for the week.
“We lost yesterday, I want to beg my brother to consider his own stand, he should know that in any way that there is no where in our own Rules that says that we are doing induction.”
He said the days for sitting in the House was clearly stated out in the House order.
However, the Speaker disregarded another member of the G7, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC-Plateau), who raised his hand and attempted to make input into the motion.
Also opposed to the motion, Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf (PDP-Kogi) opined fairness dictates that if plenary could be adjourned for lawmakers-elect that were in the first batch of the programme, those in the second batch should not be denied.
He said having taken the route of allowing a group of lawmakers to attend the training, others should be allowed to as well.
Also speaking, Hon. Ademorin Kuye (APC-Lagos), observed that Members-elect can not afford to miss the training being different from previous programmes with the introduction of emerging innovations.
Speaker Gbajabiamila, before putting the question, noted that Hon. Isiaka raised a fundamental question noting that the induction programme is a right, not a privilege.
According to him, if the lawmakers-elect in the first batch were allowed to attend the programme, the second batch must also be allowed, for fairness and equity.
