By Zik Gbemre
We find it appalling that as the 8th Senate, on Tuesday September 29, 2015, resumed from its 4th recess in 110 days, no fewer than 83 Senators were said to have passed a “supposed vote of confidence” on the leadership of the embattled Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, amidst a rowdy session. We consider it unwise and as a step too hasty by the Upper Chamber that, despite Saraki’s trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over alleged corrupt practices and false declaration of assets, they decided to tow this line of action, obviously seeking to shore up support for the embattled Senate President.
Saraki was said to have initially got the backing of 84 of his colleagues. But as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Business and Rules, Babajide Omowarare (APC-Osun East), backed out, 83 Senators threw their weight behind him. David Umar, Niger East, who read the motion, initially said it was sponsored by 84 Senators; nevertheless, the Chairman Senate Committee on Business and Rules, Babajide Omowarare, asked that his name be removed from the list. “Ordinarily by virtue of my position as the Chairman, Committee on Business and Rules, I should have seen this motion before now. But it comes as matter of urgent public importance. My name is listed as number eleven. Let me say that I don’t know how my name got into the list. I therefore say I am not part of it,” Mr. Omoworare said.
Like a similar vote of confidence passed on the Senate leadership by 81 senators on the 28th of July. 2015 in the heat of the Senate leadership crisis then, 83 of them have now passed the vote of confidence on Tuesday September 29, 2015.
While we agree with the fact that there is absolutely nothing wrong with members of the Senate coming out to support their leadership by passing the said vote of confidence on Saraki, however, we strongly believe the ‘timing’ is wrong and obviously sends a wrong signal about the integrity and sanctity of the Upper Chamber in the eyes of the International Community. Considering the fact that the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, is still facing a 13-count criminal charge that bordered on corruption, false declaration of assets, and illegal operation of a foreign bank account while in office as a public servant, one would have expected the members of the Senate to wait until the outcome of the CCT trial against Saraki before they would take any line of action. For going ahead instead to pass a vote of confidence on someone who has not been cleared of the charges of corruption against him, the Senate members are practically jumping the gun to suggest that Saraki is not guilty of the charges brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). By thus action, it is like pre-empting the outcome of the Tribunal.
Agreed that one is innocent until proven guilty, but we believe in this particular situation, the Senators concerned cannot vouch for Saraki because nobody knows exactly what the truth is. It is only between Saraki and his creator. What happens if Saraki is found guilty of any of the charges brought against him in the CCT? What will become of the so called vote of confidence passed on him by the said 83 Senators? How would Nigerians and the world view these Senators and the entire Upper Chamber?
The whole thing simply does not make sense. Members of the Senate should realize that the world is watching and observing every of the happenings in their Chamber and how they have been conducting themselves. They were just too hasty to have made this move of passing a supposed vote of confidence on someone who is still facing trial in a Tribunal. It is not like the said case has been concluded by the CCT? It is not like the CCT have passed their judgment on the case against Saraki, neither has the CCB dropped its charges against the Senate President; so why the rush to pass a vote of confidence on Saraki? Is it their way of saying Saraki is innocent and should be cleared of all charges and be left alone? But who made them the mouth piece of the law? If the Senate Chamber believes in the Rule Of Law and are disposed to upholding it as lawmakers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, then they should have allowed the law take its full course on the case against its leader – Saraki.
What we also find most appalling in all of this was the fact that some Nigerians are not helping matters with the timing and manner in which they showed their support to the Senate leadership. We can imagine a situation where protesters barricaded the entrance of the National Assembly to show support to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki over his asset declaration travail. Some of the groups in the protest are: Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo Youth Movement (ONYM), the Coalition of Civil Society and Market Executive for Policy Stability (COCMEP) and New Nigeria Agenda among others. The protesters came at the time the lawmakers were resuming from the 6-week annual recess, which caused a log traffic gridlock at the first gate of the Assembly Complex. Our best bet is the said protesters might be hired to give credence to the actions of the 83 Senators in their supposed vote of confidence. But whatever the case might be, Nigerians should desist from being used as tools by the political class in their bid to have their ways within the political space. These protests are absolutely uncalled for because the Senate President should be allowed to face the law and clear his name without anyone trying to bend the hands of the law.
When we look at things more critically, there are so many things that does not add up with the whole Saraki imbroglio and his recent supposed vote of confidence. First, the proposal titled: “Vote of Confidence on Principal Officers of the Senate,” in pursuant to Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Order 2015, had the names of 48 Senators from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 35 from the majority All Progressives Congress (APC), which is also the party of the said Senate President in the storm. Agreed that Saraki used to be a member of the PDP before switching over to the now ruling APC, are we now saying members of the opposing PDP still considers Saraki as one of their own? Or is Saraki just a member of the APC by name but a member of the PDP at heart? How do we see all of this?
Again, 51 Senators were at the Conference Centre when Bukola Saraki became the Senate President in June 2015. 49 Senators and 15 APC loyalists of Bukola Saraki voted on the floor of the house on that day. 51 Senators that were not part of that voting exercise cried blue murder and since then peace and tranquility has evaded the Upper Legislative Chamber. Then on resumption on Tuesday September 29, 2015, 83 Senators were said to have voted in support of the Senate President and the Leadership of the Senate. Now if 64 Senators voted during the election in support of Saraki, does that mean some of the Senators that attended the supposed 10.00 am lecture at the Conference Centre on the 9th of June 2015 while the voting was going on are now Pro- Saraki? We leave this for Nigerians to ponder on and decide for themselves.
The bottom line is that it has become obvious that there is nothing too sacred for these Senators to do to have their way in the scheme of things. If they could allegedly forge the Senate Standing Order 2011, then there is nothing too difficult for them to do to have their way. In fact, it has been alleged by Senator Babajide that the said list of Senators that passed the supposed vote of confidence on the Senate President was also forged. While this remains unconfirmed, the truth is that anything is possible with these so called lawmakers of the 8th Assembly. Sincerely, these characters are supposed to be in the Senate to make laws in the interest of the nation but all they have been preoccupied with post- inauguration is to pass a spurious vote of confidence on the Senate President who is currently on criminal trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
It is also interesting to note that, although the motion for the said vote of confidence on the Senate President was passed with voice vote, Saraki was not left unchallenged as Kabir Marafa (Zamfara State), a staunch opponent of the embattled Senate President, disrupted the session, asking that the motion be quashed. He criticized the motion, arguing it should not be entertained in the first place as its subject was pending in court. Senator Marafa who before the endorsement of the said confidence vote by the Senate, attempted to shut the motion down raised orders 53(5) and 58 to kick against the decision taken.
He contended that the Senate President should have recognized him to speak before putting the motion for vote but Saraki repeatedly told him to read order 53(6), which states that Senators cannot raise any matter that had already been ruled upon by the Senate during the same session. He remained on his feet condemning the process upon which the vote of confidence motion was passed. That made Senator Hamma Misau (APC Bauchi Central) to shout on him to sit down and it resulted into verbal missiles between them, leading to a rowdy session in the senate for about 10minutes. The situation was brought under control when Senators Olushola Adeyeye (APC Osun Central) , Gbenga Ashafa (APC Lagos East) and Olalekan Adeola (APC Lagos West) succeeded in leading Marafa out of the chamber for peace to reign.
To us, we believe there is need for the Senate leadership under Senator Saraki to exhibit and show some level of ‘maturity’ in conducting the affairs of the Upper Chamber. Senator Saraki should realize that he cannot be a judge in his own case or issues bothering on his integrity that is still pending in the court. We believe one of the things that made Nigerians and indeed Senators to warm up to the Senate leadership of the 7th Assembly under Senator David Mark, was his maturity exhibited in conducting the affairs of the then Senate. In fact, most times David Mark had to step aside whenever issues botherning on his integrity was being discussed at the then Upper Chamber. Perhaps, Senator Saraki should learn from this. But as regards the supposed vote of confidence that was passed on him by 83 Senators, they have goofed.
The said action by the 83 Senate members of the 8th Assembly is totally wrong, ill-timed and does not speak well of the integrity and morality of the lawmakers concerned. They should perhaps, look at their colleagues in developed societies like the United States of American Congress and the United Kingdom Houses Parliament, and see how lawmakers conduct themselves strictly under the eyes and guide of the Rule Of Law, when it comes to upholding what is right and refusing to support or back what is wrong.
On several occasions, we have called on the need for Nigerians to regularly re-appraise and re-examine the characters and personalities of those representing their various constituencies in the National Assembly. It is not everybody that puts on good cloths, drives good cars or lives in affluence wealth that has the integrity, character and charisma to be a leader. The National Assembly as the Legislative Arm of government can be regarded as the ‘deciding factor’ that legislate laws meant for the progress and development of the country. They are also in the position to ‘checkmate’ the ‘excesses’ arising from the Executive Arm of government. Hence, it is imperative that men/women that will make up the National Assembly should be persons of integrity and high moral uprightness.
Unfortunately, this has not been the case with the past and present Nigerian National Assembly and its members. Every now and then, they are embedded with one controversy or the other, especially the immediate past 7th Assembly of the Lower Chamber. If it is not allegations of bribery and other corrupt practices of great proportions, it will be dramas of fisticuffs and free-for-all fights or gross misconduct and misappropriation of public funds. Aside their outrageous recurrent expenditures that is draining the nation’s funds dry, the present National Assembly has nothing to show forth as an achievement in the last three months. It is high time they start doing the right things in the eyes of the Nigerian public and the International Community through their conduct and proceedings as lawmakers.
Zik Gbemre, JP.
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)
No.28, Opi Street, Ugboroke Layout, Effurun-Warri,
P.O. Box 2254, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
Tel: +2348026428271
+2348052106013
Website: www.ndpc-zik.org
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