From John Adams, Minna
A major crisis is brewing at the Niger State House of Assembly as lawmakers on Thursday removed three key Principal Officers of the House, accusing them of incompetence in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.
The affected lawmakers are the Majority Leader, Honorable Saleh Ibrahim, representing Kontagora constituency, the deputy majority leader, Honorable Binta Mamman, representing Gurara constituency, and the Chief Whip Honorable Bello Ahmed, representing Agwara constituency,
Not even the intervention of the House Speaker, Honorable Abdullahi Bawa Wuse could save the Principal Officers from being removed.
Drama was said to have begun when the Member representing Edati Constituency, Honorable Salihu Tama stood up to present a motion under the matter of urgent public importance before but was overruled by the Speaker who said that the member did not present him (Speaker) with the motion before the plenary and as such, the Legislator cannot be allowed to make his presentation.
The Speaker was equally overruled by other legislators who took time to educate him that motions under matters of public importance do not require the Speaker to see it in writing before it is presented.
“I gave him the opportunity to speak. the understanding is that he said he had a motion and the motion is being typed and it is almost complete. I now asked him if it is ready and he said that the motion is for flooding in Edati local government area and that it is almost ready and that was why I said I haven’t given him the basis to speak. I overruled him because he didn’t give me the motion before the sitting began. And that is my stand on this”, the Speaker insisted.
Members however stood their ground, arguing that it has never been the practice of the House, and challenged the Speaker to point out the relevant session in the rules of standing order to support his argument, and for overruling the Legislator from making his presentation.
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The member representing Borgu Constituency, Honorable Mohammed Abba Bala, specifically challenged the Speaker’s stand, saying: “If a matter of public importance is not put to writing, won’t it be presented? Has that always been the practice? I know of several cases where this is not the case in this House”.
He went further, pointing out that “Why is it that someone is asking for his constitutional right and you didn’t allow him? It is not part of our rules that matters of public importance at any time must be given to the Speaker before it is said during the plenary. Why are you being partial? Your overruling on this matter cannot stand.”
In addition to this, the Member representing Bosso Constituency, Honorable Madaki Bosso said that the Speaker was wrong in overruling the Legislator without pointing him to the section either in the constitution or in the Assembly standing order.
According to him, “you need to draw his attention to the provision of the constitution which says that he must give you a copy of the motion before it is presented at the floor of the house. You overruled him without letting him know how he has gone wrong. If you are overruling him, draw the attention of the house to that part of the standing order. What you are saying has never been the case in the past, if there has been an amendment, the House need to know and be informed about it,” he submitted.
When he was finally given the opportunity to speak, the member representing Edati Constituency, Honorable Salihu Mohammed Tama moved for the impeachment of the Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader and the Chief Whip.
“As a matter of urgent public importance, I move for the impeachment of Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader and the Chief Whip for their incompetence to discharge their constitutional responsibility.”
The motion was seconded by the member representing Borgu Constituency as the Legislators choose the successors of the impeached principal officers almost immediately.
The new leadership of the Assembly now include Honorable Mohammed Abba Bala, Majority Leader, the member representing Borgu Constituency, the Deputy Majority Leader, Honorable Madaki Malik Bosso representing Bosso Constituency, while Honorable Salihu Tama Edati from Edati Constituency is the new Chief Whip.