Thursday, 24 May 2012

Criminal lawmakers: Senators, angry Reps reply Obasanjo


Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, on Wednesday stopped a move by lawmakers to protest former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s verbal attacks on members of the national and state houses of assembly.
The Senate also challenged Obasanjo to name the rogues and criminals among the lawmakers, saying   a lot of people had called for clarification on the former President’s comments.
Before Tambuwal’s intervention, fuming Reps had taken exception to the former President’s chastisement with the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr. Suleiman Kawu, already submitting that “Obasanjo lacked the moral authority to call lawmakers rogues and armed robbers.” 
The ex-President on Tuesday at the fourth Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies, Nigeria, annual national conference in Lagos, said most members of the legislature in the country are rogues and criminals.
Kawu had raised an order under matters of urgent public importance to table the ex-President’s attack on lawmakers on the floor.
Although Tambuwal initially obliged him, the Speaker quickly stopped Kawu when he started raining abuses on Obasanjo.
He accused Obasanjo of being without a good reputation and that such a man had no “moral authority to call lawmakers armed robbers, Mr. Speaker.”
But Tambuwal cut him short amid murmurs from members and promptly referred the issue to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation.
The speaker reasoned that it would be hasty to respond to the allegations in anger as none of the lawmakers was present at the forum where the former President reportedly made the allegations.
Tambuwal noted that the House should avoid a situation where Obasanjo would deny having made the allegations or that he was quoted out of context.
He explained that an investigation by the committee would clarify any doubts on the matter, following which the House could debate it and take a position.
The committee was given up to next week to submit its report.

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