Show of shame at the House of Reps

Thursday, 24 June 2010 00:00
Guardian Editorial Opinion

THE frequent rumblings in the House of Representatives over issues that seem unconnected with core legislative duties should be a source of worry to all well-meaning Nigerians. Since 2007, when the brawl generated by the scandal that led to the resignation of Mrs. Patricia Etteh, the erstwhile Speaker of the House, there have been serious allegations making the rounds in the House, such that the lawmakers appear to have abandoned their primary statutory duties to engage in conflicts over position, power and privileges.
The latest disagreement between the so-called “Progressives” and the leadership of the House once again advertises the gross indiscipline that pervades the National Assembly (NASS). There are different versions of the circumstances leading to the fracas. The first, reportedly, is that the lawmakers wanted an increase in their quarterly allowances from N29 million to N45 million amidst the biting mass poverty in the land, which was opposed by the leadership of the House and which infuriated some of the members. Second is the alleged decision of the House leadership to re-organise the committees, which led to the removal of some chairmen of committees who felt aggrieved.
The third version is that a group of 11 lawmakers led by Dino Melaye operating under the umbrella of “Progressives” petitioned the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, accusing the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole of financial recklessness. They accused him of spending the sum of N9 billion out of the House’s capital vote for 2008/2009 to purchase eight bullet-proof cars for himself and his convoy. The group issued a seven-day ultimatum for him to resign or be exposed. This immediately set the 11 lawmakers against other members of the House.
Furthermore, following the petition and in an apparent move to assert their power to protect themselves, the group decided to take the law into their own hands by invading the hallowed chamber of the House with tear gas canisters. Fracas ensued in a free-for-all. Some lawmakers were beaten up, their clothes torn to shreds while others sustained injuries. Nigerians have expressed deep outrage over the unruly behaviour of the legislators and the spate of crisis emanating from the House.
It was most shameful that the lawmakers engaged in such riotous behaviour while students on excursion from City Royal Secondary School, Nyanya, were visiting the National Assembly to observe the process of law making. The students and their teachers who sat at the gallery were dumbfounded by the show of shame exhibited by the lawmakers who are supposed to be role models. That experience can hardly be erased from the memory of the students.
It is a sad comment on the ills plaguing the Nigerian nation that the National Assembly has been turned into a battlefield where intrigues and fight for supremacy reign supreme. This is not the first time that sanity has been thrown overboard by the lawmakers and brute force adopted as a conflict-resolution mechanism. In 2007, legislators applied similar brute force in settling scores. All this simply shows the quality of the lawmakers we have in the House of Representatives. Having submitted a petition to the EFCC, the “Progressives” should have allowed due process to take its course. It is wrong however, for other lawmakers to seek to intimidate them. It is most scandalous that lawmakers who are otherwise addressed as “Honourable” would descend so low as to fight in public.
Elsewhere, lawmakers fight over important national issues, due to differences in opinion. Usually, this would have to do with something of benefit to the people and the country. But the situation in Nigeria is radically different. Nigerian legislators are often prepared to engage in physical combat over personal issues, allowances, benefits and other remunerations. There has never been a time the lawmakers fought over issues that border on how to improve the awful state of affairs in the country. The fracas in the House of Representatives on Tuesday further casts a slur on Nigerian democracy and the integrity of politicians.
Without the patriotism and commitment of our lawmakers, the country is grossly short-changed. We condemn the conversion of the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly into a battlefield for selfish interests. We also hope that the conflict this week, was not stage-managed in order to divert attention from the allegations that have been made against the office of the Speaker. While the allegations of financial impropriety should be investigated by the EFCC, all the lawbreakers who acted so dishonourably on the floor of the House should also be named, shamed and sanctioned accordingly. The electorate should also take proper notice of this incident; in the future, those who cannot conduct themselves after the fashion of honourable citizens should be shut out of high office.