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Tag: Senate

  • Insecurity: Senate aligns with Reps on joint session with Buhari

    THE Senate yesterday aligned with the House of Representatives on the invitation to President Muhammadu Buhari to address a joint session of the National Assembly on the spate of killings in Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Adamawa and other states across the federation.

    To this end, the leadership of the Senate would be meeting with that of the House of Representatives to agree on a date for the President to address a joint session on the way forward.

    The House of Representatives, had on Tuesday, extended invitation to the President to address members on the security situation in the country.

    This followed an overwhelming vote of no confidence passed on the nation’s security chiefs by the green chamber.

    It was Senator Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central) that mulled the idea of a joint session with the President, with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, asking him to table it through a motion within motion.

    Ogba’s motion was seconded by Senator Binta Garba Masi (Adamawa North). The motion was overwhelmingly carried.

    At yesterday’s plenary, a heavy pall of gloomy and despair enveloped the hallowed chamber of the Senate as the lawmakers took turns to bemoan the spate of senseless killings in some parts of the country.

    More disturbing to the senators was the nature and pattern of the attacks and the attendant heavy casualties. More so, when the attackers have been carrying out the heinous crimes unchallenged and without being arrested.

    The original motion was moved by Senator George Akume, which opened the floodgate of lamentations on Tuesday’s killing of two Catholic Priests and 18 parishioners at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ukpor-Mbalom, in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.

    Akume, who represents Benue North, was particularly alarmed that the killings took place in a church, which is generally regarded as a sanctuary.

    The senator, who said a place of worship should be sacrosanct, noted that the attacks were incessant, happening almost every week in different communities in Benue State.

    He added that the attacks were being carried out by men with sinister motives.

    Akume observed with dismay, the continued killings, maiming and destruction of lives and property across the country, particularly in many farming communities in Benue State.

    He said: “These killings have continued unabated since January 2018. On the morning of Tuesday, April 24, some Christian faithful were gathered at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Ayar town in Gwer East Local Government Area for their routine morning mass and burial ceremony.

    “They were ambushed by armed gunmen, who opened fire indiscriminately on the worshipers, resulting in the deaths of two reverend fathers, namely Rev. Fr. Joseph Gor, Rev. Fr. Felix Tyolaha, a catechist, John Ibor and 17 others.”

    For Senator Yusuf Abu Yusuf (Taraba central), the situation calls for a state of emergency in troubled states across the country, particularly the Northcentral zone.

    He said: “We should assist the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in all these flashpoints where we have security challenges.”

    Deputy Senate Leader Bala Ibn Na ‘Allah (Kebbi South) agreed with Senator Yusuf that the situation required a drastic action.

    But Saraki rejected the suggestion, saying that members should wait for the President’s input at the planned joint sitting before taking any decision in that respect.

    Senator Gbolahan Dada (Ogun West) said unprovoked attacks and killings have claimed the lives of over 2,000 persons in the last six months alone.

    The senator suggested that members should find time to visit the troubled states, with the view to reviving their confidence and giving the support.

    Saraki called for a drastic action to stem the spate of killings, warning that the trend and dimension of the attacks could lead to a serious national crisis.

    The Senate President said: “We must say no, these daily killings have to stop; and in our contribution, what do we do? We can’t continue to say we are leaders. This is failure, there is no doubt about it.”

     

    PDP: invitation to President reflects nation’s mood

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the decision by the two chambers of the National Assembly inviting President Muhammadu Buhari to a joint session over alleged constitutional violations.

    At the planned session, the President will be required to discuss security issues, particularly the spate of unprovoked killings by herdsmen in Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Adamawa, Nasarawa states and others.

    In a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said the decision to invite the President was in consonant with the mood of the nation and the expectations of Nigerians.

    He said the vote of no confidence passed on the Service Chiefs by federal lawmakers was a direct indictment of the President, as the commander in chief of the armed forces, who must be held responsible for the security failures of the nation in the last three years.

    “Nigerians are very eager to listen to President Buhari and watch him respond to them through their National Assembly members. We therefore habour no reservations in urging the federal lawmakers, as representatives of the people, not to succumb to any form of executive intimidation, blackmail and pressure to surrender their constitutional powers and duties,” Ologbondiyan said.

     

     

     

  • Melaye: Senate orders IGP to appear Wednesday

    The Senate on Thursday ordered the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to appear before it at 11:00 a.m. next Wednesday and explain why Senator Dino Melaye was handcuffed by policemen who arrested him on Tuesday.

    Ibrahim was also expected to answer questions on the insecurity and its attendant killings in different parts of the country.

    The IGP, who was summoned by the lawmakers on Wednesday, failed to show up, as he was said to have accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to Bauchi on official engagement.

    Announcing the inability of Ibrahim to honour the invitation, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Abu Ibrahim, said the IGP had mandated the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Operations to stand him for him.

    But the senators were piqued by Senator Ibrahim’s statement, with many of them accusing the IGP of being disrespectful to the Senate.

    The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, reminded Senator Ibrahim that it was the IGP that the Senate summoned through a resolution and not the DIG.

    Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na ‘Allah, urged members not to listen to any other person other than the IGP.

     

  • Insecurity: Senate aligns with Reps, seeks joint session with Buhari

    The Senate on Thursday aligned with the House of Representatives on the invitation to President Muhammadu Buhari to address a joint session of the National Assembly on the spate of killings in Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Adamawa and other states across the federation.

    To this end, the leadership of the Senate would be meeting with that of the House of Representatives to agree on a date for the President to address a joint session on the matter.

    The House of Representatives, had on Tuesday, invited the President to address the House on the security situation in the country.

    This followed an overwhelming vote of no confidence passed on the nation’s security chiefs by the green chamber.

    It was Senator Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central) that mulled the idea of a joint session with the President, with the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, asking him to table it through a motion within motion.

    Ogba’s motion was seconded by Senator Binta Garba Masi (Adamawa North). The motion was overwhelmingly carried.

    At Thursday’s plenary, gloom and despair enveloped the hallowed chamber of the Senate as the lawmakers took turns to bemoan the spate of senseless killings in some parts of the country.

    More disturbing to the senators was the nature and pattern of the attacks and the attendant heavy casualties. More so, when the attackers have been carrying out the heinous crimes unchallenged without being arrested.

    The original motion was moved by Senator George Akume, which opened the floodgate of lamentations on Tuesday’s killing of two Catholic priests and 18 parishioners at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ukpor-Mbalom, in Gwer West local government area of Benue State.

    Akume, who represents Benue North West district, was particularly alarmed that the killings took place in a church, which is generally regarded as a sanctuary.

     

  • Senate adjourns plenary in solidarity with Melaye

    Senators on Wednesday resolved to adjourn plenary in solidarity with the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, who is being held by the police in Abuja.

    The upper chamber also resolved to invite the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to explain the circumstances that led to the arrest and detention of Melaye.

    The IGP is expected to appear before the Senate in plenary on Thursday to explain alleged inhuman treatment meted to the senato

    Photographs of Melaye in handcuff on his hospital bed went viral on the internet on Wednesday.

    Senators took turns to condemn what they described as “denigration and calculated onslaught against the Senate.”

    Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East) drew the attention of his colleagues to the arrest, detention and hospitalization of Melaye allegedly on the orders of the police.

    Anyanwu, who came under order of privilege, told the Senate that he was aware that Melaye was being treated “like a common criminal.”

    He said: “When one of us has been belated, all of us have been belated. One of us is currently being treated like a common criminal. My heart is bleeding. I feel that we have all lost the essence of our being in the Senate and the essence of being called senators.

    “Yesterday (Tuesday), I in the company of two other senators went to see Senator Melaye at the National Hospital. Can you imagine Mr. President that we were not allowed to see our colleague. It was unbelievable and unimaginable to ever imagine that a day will come when senators will not be allowed to see their colleague who is in chains in the hospital.

    “Senator Peter Nwaoboshi is held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and nobody is allowed to see him. The Senate should immediately take up the matter to ensure that Melaye does not continue to suffer this orchestrated dehumanizing and inhuman treatment. Can’t the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria be respected?

    “If a serving senator is dehumanized in this manner, then there is no hope for Nigeria. I am not surprised that some of us have been marked by the EFCC and other security agencies. It is not about Dino it is about any of us.”

     

  • Presidency, Senate face-off deepens over stolen mace

    The festering crisis of confidence between the Presidency and the National Assembly may have deepened.

    There were signs yesterday that the Senate may have resolved to dump all Executive communications sent to it for action.

    The resolution to “keep all Executive communications in view” was one of the high points of about three hours closed session the upper chamber held yesterday.

    The April 18 invasion of the Senate chamber by thugs was said to have dominated discussions at the closed session.

    It was gathered that Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) was confronted by his colleagues over his alleged role in the invasion of the Senate chamber.

    Sources said that Adamu was pointedly called  an “enemy of democracy” when he allegedly insinuated that “there is no smoke without fire”.

    It was gathered that most senators at the secret meeting insisted that “the sustained persecution of the Senate by the Executive must stop”.

    The senators, it was gathered, decided that “they must defend themselves as well as democracy.”

    It was learnt that the lawmakers also vowed that “whatever comes from the executive will not be considered as long as the persecution continues”.

    Asked what specifically the Senate decided to dump, the sources refused to go into details but noted that “the decision was near unanimous”.

    One said: “It was obvious that most senators were not comfortable with the sustained onslaught against the National Assembly, particularly against the Senate.”

    He said that most senators agreed that the alleged attacks were being “orchestrated and sustained by the Presidency”.

    According to the source, discussion of the invasion of the Senate chamber by thugs and the role allegedly played by some senators generated a lot of heat in the chamber.

    He said that senators agreed that the invasion was “too daring” to be considered as ordinary.

    He said that although the mace, the symbol of authority of the Senate, had been recovered by the police, “many of our colleagues insisted that the matter must not be swept under the carpet”.

    Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central) was said to have accused some senators of “steadily causing division in the Senate”.

    He was also said to have claimed that “many of those promoting the division in the Senate were not originally with President Muhammadu Buhari”.

    Marafa was said to have insisted that whereas he and some other senators followed the party’s line at the beginning of the 8th Senate, others who backed Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki defied party directives to install Saraki.

    The Zamfara senator, the source said, was categorical that some senators were promoting, and sponsoring seeds of discord in the Senate.

    He was also said to have insisted that the actions of some senators partly led to the April 18 invasion.

    It was gathered that shortly after Marafa spoke, the former Nasarawa State governor, Adamu, took the floor to caution senators to be wary of the discussion of the invasion.

    Adamu was also said to have cautioned against the insinuation that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was linked to the incident.

    The source noted that “the outburst of Adamu to the effect that there is no smoke without fire” infuriated many senators.

    He said that Adamu drew the ire of other senators when he insisted: “There is no smoke without fire, and I tell you there is big fire behind this smoke.”

    The source said Marafa particularly and some other descended on Adamu, calling him names, including “a threat to democracy”.

    He said that the session almost became rowdy when many senators rose in anger to attack Adamu.

    He said that Adamu was accused of failing to play the role of a statesman even though his age and experience in government showed him as one.

    Adamu was also accused of being “a threat to democracy and sustainable peace in the chamber”.

    After the closed session, the Senate at plenary announced at a short session that a joint committee with the House of Representatives would probe the incident.

    Saraki, who announced this, said: “This legislature is a true representation of democracy and as long as we defend this legislature, we defend democracy in this country,

    “We also resolved the need to tighten the security at the National Assembly and I’m calling on all members of the public to please cooperate with us.

    “Clearly, there are some loopholes here and we need to tighten them.

    “A constitution of a joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives also resolved to investigate the incident of the 18th of April, to look at the factors leading to it and to ensure that such never happens again at the National Assembly.

    “We also directed our committee on Security, Intelligence and Police to engage with the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police to look at how to strengthen the security of the National Assembly to ensure that these security lapses will not reoccur.”

  • Senate constitutes panel to probe invasion

    The Senate on Tuesday set up a joint Senate/House of Representatives investigative panel to probe the April 18 invasion of Senate chamber by thugs.

    Senate president, Abubakar Bukola Saraki announced the constitution of the probe panel after about three hour executive session.

    Saraki was out of the country when the Senate chamber was invaded.

    Read Also: Senate invasion: Saraki, Ekweremadu visit injured sergeant-at-arms

  • Reflections on Senate invasion

    The physical assault on the upper chamber of the National Assembly on April 18 has no comparison in Nigeria’s political history. Although there are parliamentary skirmishes in some of our legislatures in the past, the only comparable event was that of Western House of Assembly in Ibadan in 1962. It was the hey day of the internecine war between Awolowo and Akintola factions of the Action Group, the dominant political party in Western Nigeria in those early days.

    The Ibadan event led to serious political and constitutional developments, mostly negative, until these events engulfed Nigeria in the civil war of 1967 to 1970.

    There is a difference though between what happened this year and the event of 1962. While the latter could be traced to factionalism within a party, this year’s sordid happening should be seen in a larger context. It was invasion by ‘outsiders’ on Nigeria’s parliament. It could probably have been ignited by both intra and inter party squabbles, but one must be honest to admit the fact that it assumes a larger dimension than anything that has happened in our political process since the British departed our shores in 1960.

    More ominously, it happened in a parliament that has become the most criticized, perhaps the most hated national institution of our time. Don’t they deserve this odious perception? They do. It is the only institution of state that keeps the financial benefits it derives from the state under wraps. If for anything else, this veiled attempt at institutional cover up will continue to give the hallowed chamber a bad name, irrespective of its performance.

    Throughout our experience in constitutional governance, it is the only parliament where the government party and the opposition coalesce together in a marriage that negates constitutional set up of government and opposition. It is believed members are not divided on party lines at all; indeed there is a very thin layer of difference between the two major parties in the National Assembly.

    Some people have alleged that the senator from Delta was the arrow head of the attempted civilian coup. If this was true, the prospects are frightening indeed. This is so because many Nigerians believe that at one time in the future, considering the wide gap between the poor and the rich, the millions of unemployed youth, many of whom have good professional certificates, may become restless and would just enter and sack the National Assembly. That could be the beginning of the beginning-apologies to K.O. Mbadiwe.

    The National Assembly could be a natural target since most Nigerians believe that they are taking more than their fair share of the national cake. In fact there is a general belief that more about five percent of national income is consumed by the National Assembly with population of less than five thousand. Sure, the other branches of government – the executive and judiciary are not inhabited by saints. As everybody who cares knows what the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the president, the minister etc takes from the national till are no secret whereas the earnings of members of the National Assembly are shrouded in secrecy,  making people believe that presiding officers of the two chambers earn as much as N35 million per month. And also that senators and members of House of Representatives take N15 million to N20 million per month. In a country where poverty is literally crawling of its four legs, the inequality is certainly unacceptable.

    In some cases, the National Assembly is its own worst enemy. The general belief is that members dare not express different view points from those of the presiding officers or the assembly’s leadership as a whole. In a supposedly liberal democracy, it is wrong for a member to be expelled because he holds contrary views to popular palace positions.

    Indeed Nigeria needs restructuring but not the physical, geographical or financial compartments which some people envisage but the restructuring of the mind and orientation will perform the magic which we envisage for the betterment of our country.

    This 8th assembly should have a rethink. They should be apprehensive about what Nigerians think about them. Besides the annual ritual of senators and members of the House of Representative reaching out to their constituents with singlets, motorcycles and palm wine on annual basis, and beyond what they call constituency projects, they are one day going to dissolve into the larger society where they may not find life comfortable with their unearned billions.

    Although Nigerians are reputed to forget and ignore events so easily, actions bordering on the notorious looting of the national treasury is certainly one that they cannot easily forget.

    Expectedly, this strange event has continued to attract comments across Nigeria. In particular pundits have a field day drawing conclusions. One that is particularly cynical is that the invasion of the Senate is as result of the continuation of events that happened in Kwara State some 20 to 30 years ago. This was when they alleged the Saraki dynasty was imposing its will on the hapless Kwarans. This is a reference to the assumed power of Bukola Saraki over his distinguished colleagues. This power of money and sinecure positions, are what is propelling the assembly resulting into the negative image. It is indeed a black spot in our constitutional history.

    But two issues stand out clear. One: Is it an offence or constitutional breach for a senator to have different views and express these views openly against the leadership position? Two: How did the present Senate leadership emerge in the first place? Is it not by cunning, by conspiracy or by some subterfuge? Until these two issues are resolve, the 8th Assembly particularly the Senate will continue to attract deserved odium from Nigerians.

    • Fasuan MON; JP writes from Ado-Ekiti.

  • Why Senate cannot suspend its members – Falana

    Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), on Monday explained why the Senate cannot suspend its members.

    He described such action as “a mockery of democracy.”

    The Senate had last week suspended one of its members, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, over a statement he made on the amended time table for 2019 election.

    The lawyer, in a statement issued in Lagos and titled: “Illegal suspension of legislators in Nigeria,” drew the attention of the leadership of the National Assembly to the habit of suspending members who expressed dissenting opinions on parliamentary issues.

    He cited the case of the Speaker of the Bauchi House of Assembly vs Honourable Rifkatu Danna (2017) 49 WRN 52 and explained why it is illegal for leaders of a legislative house to suspend any of its members.

    He said the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the Bauchi State High Court which had earlier set aside the indefinite suspension of Rifkatu Danna as member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly.

    He argued that the suspension of a legislator amount to a denial of representation by his or her constituency and a violation of the constitution.

    “The fact that the respondent was re-elected for another four year term by the people of Bogoro Constituency in Bauchi State to represent them in the House of Assembly was to ensure that she had the right to be in the House of Assembly for another four year term to serve the constituency without undue interference.”

    He said it was also to ensure that the constituency is represented in the Bauchi State House of Assembly for the four year lifespan of the Assembly.

    “That is why section 117(1) of the Constitution provides as follows: ‘Subject to the provisions of this constitution, every State Constituency established in accordance with the provisions of this part of this chapter shall return one member who shall be directly elected to a House of Assembly in such manner as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly,” he added.

     

  • Senate: mace theft a positive development

    Sen. Abu Ibrahim (APC-Katsina South) has described the Wednesday’s invasion of the Senate Chamber by hoodlums as a “positive development’’.

    He stated this on Friday while he fielded questions from State House correspondents in Abuja.

    Some hoodlums had on Wednesday entered the Senate chamber during plenary, attacked some persons and made away with the mace.

    The legislator, however, observed that the attack was a blessing in disguise as the incident had revealed the security lapse at the assembly.

    “Obviously, what has happened is a concern to every Nigerian politician. But, at the same time, we have to accept in Nigeria or all over the world politics sometimes can create a situation of this kind of what happened.

    “But this has given us two opportunities; one, to look at the security of the National Assembly itself whereby I think Nigerian National Assembly is the most insecure assembly I have seen in my life.

    “Wherever I went to there was good security, you can’t just go in, you cannot access, you cannot go to officers.

    “But now if you go to our offices, like my office yesterday there were over 50 people waiting for me and I didn’t give anybody appointment.

    “So, this has probably influenced us in the leadership to sit down and critically examine the security of the National Assembly itself. So, it is a positive development.’’

    He said the second `benefit’ of the Mace saga was that members of the senate became more united, and they renewed their pledge to abide by the constitution and rules of the national assembly.

    According to the senator, the incident has also afforded the senators opportunity to ask themselves questions on what happened and why it happened.

    He said: “Secondly we sat at executive session as senators, we asked ourselves what happened and why. And we told ourselves the truth.

    “We even pin-pointed culprits in what led to this and we came out with a promise that everyone of us will support and abide by the provision of the constitution.

    “Our rules in the national assembly in the senate and obviously we accepted that we are all senators, the same rank, elected by our people and we have the same right and privileges.

    “Therefore, this is the second benefit if we can call it benefit of what has happened what we saw two days ago.’’

    On the activities of the Buhari Support Group, Ibrahim disclosed that the group would be inaugurating its offices in Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States on Monday.

    He added that the group’s campaign buses would also be inaugurated at the same time.

    NAN

     

  • Senate to quiz IGP, DSS DG over thugs invasion

    ‘We won’t be cowed’

    Court stops Omo-Agege’s arrest

    Mace recovered

    It was time to take stock yesterday of Wednesday’s invasion of the Senate by thugs, who carted away its mace, its symbol of authority.

    The mace was recovered yesterday and returned to the Senate by the police.

    Rising from a one-hour executive session, the Senate resolved to invite Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris and Director-General of Department of State Service (DSS) Lawal Daura, next week to brief it on investigations into the attack.

    The Senate added that it won’t be cowed by what happened on Wednesday.

    “I want to assure Nigerians that we will never waver in the responsibility they have elected us to shoulder. We will all stand together to defend this institution of the parliament and our democracy. We will never fear to legislate; and we will never legislate out of fear,” Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said in an address at plenary, which folowed the closed session.

    At the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Senator Ovi Omo-Agege got an injunction stopping the police and DSS from arresting him.

    Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, said everything must be done to prevent a recurrence of the dastardly act.

    Issues relating to the attack; how to prevent a recurrence and ensure lasting harmony in the Senate were said to have dominated the closed session.

    Confirming to his colleagues that the mace had been recovered, Ekweremadu said despite the recovery “it still beats the imagination of Nigerians and the civilised world that the attackers passed through the several security checks and barriers into the National Assembly and the inner recesses of this chamber and also escaped with the mace into thin air despite the well-known fortified surroundings of this parliament.”

    What happened on Wednesday, he said, must not be allowed to go unpunished or to be swept under the carpet, adding that the Senate will get to the root of the matter.

    He called on the police and DSS to “ensure that all those, who plotted, aided, abetted, and executed this dastardly affront on our democracy and belittled Nigeria before the international community are brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.”

    Ekweremadu, who read a statement entitled: “The affront on our laws and institutions must not go unpunished”, said: Distinguished colleagues, “yesterday (Wednesday), this legislative chamber, the nation, and the international community were treated to the theatre of the absurd when armed men invaded the chamber to assault our staff and cart away the mace, the symbol of authority of the Senate. It was a very sad testimony, a derogation, and total smear on our democracy and nation.

    “On behalf of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, I want to register deep appreciation to you, my colleagues for your understanding and maturity in the face of flagrant provocation. You showed forth yourselves as patriots and elderstatesmen and women. I am indeed proud of you and salute your patriotism.

    “I want to also specially appreciate the leadership and members of the House of Representatives, the management and staff of the National Assembly, especially our chamber staff for their gallantry.

    “We appreciate Nigerians, the media, civil society organisations, the political parties, and the international community for the outpour of solidarity and concern.

    “Ugly and provocative as the event of yesterday (Wednesday) was, it soothes that the entire nation and the world stood together in total condemnation of the ugly drama, brigandage, and desecration of the National Assembly by those, who hold themselves above the laws and institutions of our land.

    “Distinguished colleagues, you would also recall that this hallowed chamber, supported by the House of Representatives, demanded that the Inspector-General of Police recover and return the stolen mace to the Senate within 24 hours.

    “Concerned colleagues and Nigerians, who wanted to find out if the mace had been found, have inundated me with calls and messages since last night. Let me, therefore, formally confirm to you, my distinguished colleagues, that the mace has been recovered by the police as we demanded and it is here in this hallowed chamber.

    “Nevertheless, we believe that there should be consequence for bad behaviour. We swore to uphold the laws of the Federal Republic and the principles of democracy. It still beats the imagination of Nigerians and the civilised world that the attackers passed through the several security checks and barriers into the National Assembly and the inner recesses of this chamber and also escaped with the mace into the thin air despite the well-known fortified surroundings of this parliament.

    “Therefore, we hold that it will be a detour to the state of nature where life was lawless and brutish if what happened yesterday is allowed to go unpunished or to be swept under the carpet. It will never happen. We will get to the root of the matter. We call on the Inspector-General of Police and Director-General of the Department of State Service to ensure that all those, who plotted, aided, abetted, and executed this dastardly affront on our democracy and belittled Nigeria before the international community are brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others. We will be inviting them next week to brief us on the state of the investigations.

    “This incident has also brought to the fore the case many of us have always made for a decentralised police system. Ordinarily, a big institution like the National Assembly should have its own police, apart from the sergeants-at-arms. However, the security of this parliament is fully outside the control of the National Assembly. Instructively, the same gangsterism that was witnessed here yesterday (Wednesday) has been recorded in various state Houses of Assembly.