•Saraki swears in Rivers Senator, Andrew Uchendu
From Fred Itua, Abuja
Senate has set fresh hurdles for its former majority leader, Ali Ndume, for his resumption.
Ndume was suspended on March 27, 2017, sequel to the adoption of the recommendations of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
The Senate panel, led by Samuel Anyanwu, recommended that Ndume be suspended following his motionm that the Senate President was on a vengeance mission against Comptroller- General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd).
The Borno lawmaker, in his point of order, called for investigation into the NCS allegation that the Senate president refused to pay N74 million duty for a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) valued at N298 million, which imported into the country by Saraki.
Ndume also called on the Red Chamber to investigate certificate forgery allegations against Dino Melaye.
But, the Ethics committee, which investigated the allegations, however, cleared the Saraki and Melaye.
Daily Sun has, however, gathered that Ndume, billed to resume next week, may be prevented by the Senate leadership, until November 14 or 15, 2017.
Fresh information made available to Daily Sun indicate that Ndume’s resumption, after serving his six-month suspension, will not take effect next week because of the two-month break the Senate just returned from.
It was learnt that the break will be subtracted from the six-month suspension handed over to Ndume, while other public holidays which occurred within the period, will also be excluded from the period under review.
Senate spokesman, Sabi Abdullahi, while briefing newsmen, said November 14 is the agreed resumption date for Ndume.
He did not however, reveal who took the decision and who approved it.
Prodded further, Abdullahi declined comments.
But Senate sources said if next Monday is declared a public holiday, as a result of the October 1 Independence Day, Ndume’s resumption date will be shifted to November 15, as against the November 14 date earlier agreed.
It was also gathered that Ndume’s resumption may be further delayed if the case he instituted against Senate, at a Federal High Court, in Abuja, is not withdrawn.
The sources said the Senate leadership will continue to “shift the goalpost until Ndume withdraws the case and show that he is sorry for wrongly accusing Saraki and Melaye.”
Meanwhile, a new senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District, Andrew Igbonule Uchendu, was inaugurated yesterday.
A former member of the House of Representatives, Uchendu was inaugurated to take over from George Thompson Sekibo.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who presided at plenary, inaugurated Uchendu.
Senator Sekibo was sacked by the Court of Appeal two months ago.
With the inauguration of Uchendu, Rivers State now has two All Progressives Congress (APC) senators against one Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator.