A senator, Kabir Marafa (Zamfara
Central) on Tuesday accused Senate President Bukola Saraki of preventing
members from expressing themselves at the Nigerian senate.
The senator levelled this
accusation on Tuesday after Mr. Saraki asked him to go straight to the point as
he narrated an issue relating to security in his home state of Zamfara.
Mr. Marafa had started by
explaining how he was invited to a meeting of his state’s council of chiefs in
Kaduna, and how an aide to the state governor was allegedly a principal actor
in widespread breach of security in the state.
He said the security situation in
Zamfara was not being reported because the state does “not have strong voices.”
Mr. Marafa said the Emir of
Zamfara, who is the chairman of the state’s council of traditional rulers, said
at the Kaduna meeting of the council that “about 5,000 women, including
underage girls, were raped and molested” in the state.
Following the lengthy narration,
the senate president interjected and asked the Zamfara senator to give a
summary of the issue he was raising.
“Distinguished Senator Marafa,
with all due respect, I have tried to always accommodate you for these issues
and I think we must not abuse these issues with your personal explanation.
“I am sure everyone here has
issues to do with their state, I think you should summarise that but now you
are going into details where people are being accused. So what I appeal is that
you should give us the summary of this issue and let us try and keep within
those confines,” he said.
But Mr. Marafa, who was clearly
not happy with the senate president’s lack of interest in his narration, said:
“Thank you Mr. President, but
this is my constituency, this is why I am here. Mr. President, I am
representing people. My people are under siege. We are saying that 5,000 women
who are raped and molested.
“Mr. President, this senate needs
to know, this senate needs to lend its voice to the plight of these people.
There is no way I can say this except here. This is why I am elected. If I
cannot say this on this floor, I better resign and leave. There is just no
point.
“When I first said this, you said
my personal safety is of your concern. How can somebody sit down as an official
of the government that is being accused of masterminding these things? And Mr.
President, you say you don’t want to hear that? Mr. President you need to
know.”
Mr. Saraki, in a bid to clarify
his statement, urged the senator to report the issue without “some details that
would not help us in going forward.
“Give us the summary of the
reconciliation so that I can now guide accordingly because you came under
personal explanation, which there cannot be any debate. So I want you to give
me a summary of what happened and then from there I can be guided.”
Mr. Marafa, who was already
angered by the senate president’s comment, then accused Mr. Saraki of not
letting members express themselves.
“I have given you the summary,
the summary is two: the chief adviser of the governor is the principal accused
and the government disbanded all organisations for these people to protect
themselves. From that day, criminals roam my constituency with rifles. Nobody
can defend themselves in Zamfara.
“I was also told that then we had
70 military officers but now we have more than 1,000 and nothing is being done.
It is going on every day, people being kidnapped. This senate needs to ask some
questions.
“If these military men are not
answerable to the governor or they are disobeying him, the governor needs to
say it so that this senate or the federal government can take a position. It is
just not enough to keep the blame on the door step of the federal government.
“You don’t allow members of the
National Assembly to discuss anything, you don’t allow anybody to take it, and
you don’t allow leaders to take action. Mr. President, my zone is under siege
and I would continue to say it on this floor of the senate. Unless I am allowed
to do this, I will resign from this floor of the senate and go,” he said.
Mr. Saraki therefore called on
the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, to “take note” but frowned at Mr. Marafa for
being absent to take up the matter at the just concluded National Security
Summit that the senate held in Abuja and which was attended by Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo.
“I am happy that the Leader of
the Senate who is the chairman of the security ad hoc committee is here. It is
a pity that considering how strongly you felt about this matter, I noticed your
absence at the security conference yesterday where your government was there.
“It would have been a good
opportunity for us to address. Be that as it may, Leader (Mr. Lawan), please
take note of these issues because I know that you can invite these security
agencies and look into the matter,” he said.
AFRICAN DATING AGENCY ORGANIZATION,THE BEST CERTIFIED RELIABLE AGENCY COMPANY IN NIGERIAN/GHANA 2016/2017
ReplyDeleteARE YOU SEEKING FOR A RICH SUGAR MUMMY/DADDY/LESBIANS/GAY/ IN NIGERIA, GHANA, ANYONE INTERESTED SHOULD CONTACT AFRICAN DATING AGENCY ORGANIZATION DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR IN NIGERIA VIA(+23408145236851)the only true legitimate agency for people who are seeking for rich and wealthy sugar mummy/daddy/lesbian/gay/ in Nigeria/Ghana u can also have the opportunity to attend our sugar mummies parties and the executive ladies and men parties by contacting Africa dating agency.
for all works of life, we covered all the state in Nigeria/Ghana,we are fully legalized,registered and recognized
by CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION,read more
about us on our official
magazine called African dating magazine,were you find lots of comment and testimonies of people we have render our service from January 2010 up till date,
we have links with ladies who are EXECUTIVES, BUSINESS DIRECTORS, ENTREPRENEURS, BIG TIME OIL LADIES, BANKERS, GOLD DEALERS, LADIES WHO OWNS THEIR OWN COMPANIES, OIL RIGS, AND we also have them in FOREIGN COUNTRIES, LIKE DUBAI LONDON, PARIS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, we are around the world…. WE DELIVER UNIQUE, RELIABLE, CONFIDENTIAL SERVICE TO ALL OUR CLIENT But you must be very presentable, handsome, pretty and humble, you must also be very good on bed.
If you are very sure of yourself that you have all these qualities…. then contact African dating agency for hookup within 48 hours and make cool cash, anyone interested should start calling now for hookup…
NAME….JAMES BALOGUN
FB ID… BALOGUN SODIQ JAMES
EMILE ADDRESS…BALOGUNS60@YAHOO.COM
WHATSAPP NO…....+23408145236851
AFRICAN DATING AGENCY ORGANIZATION,THE BEST CERTIFIED RELIABLE AGENCY COMPANY IN NIGERIAN/GHANA 2016/2017
ARE YOU SEEKING FOR A RICH SUGAR MUMMY/DADDY/LESBIANS/GAY/ IN NIGERIA, GHANA, ANYONE INTERESTED SHOULD CONTACT AFRICAN DATING AGENCY ORGANIZATION DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR IN NIGERIA VIA(+23408145236851)the only true legitimate agency for people who are seeking for rich and wealthy sugar mummy/daddy/lesbian/gay/ in Nigeria/Ghana u can also have the opportunity to attend our sugar mummies parties and the executive ladies and men parties by contacting Africa dating agency.
for all works of life, we covered all the state in Nigeria/Ghana,we are fully legalized,registered and recognized
by CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION,read more
about us on our official
magazine called African dating magazine,were you find lots of comment and testimonies of people we have render our service from January 2010 up till date,
we have links with ladies who are EXECUTIVES, BUSINESS DIRECTORS, ENTREPRENEURS, BIG TIME OIL LADIES, BANKERS, GOLD DEALERS, LADIES WHO OWNS THEIR OWN COMPANIES, OIL RIGS, AND we also have them in FOREIGN COUNTRIES, LIKE DUBAI LONDON, PARIS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, we are around the world…. WE DELIVER UNIQUE, RELIABLE, CONFIDENTIAL SERVICE TO ALL OUR CLIENT But you must be very presentable, handsome, pretty and humble, you must also be very good on bed.
If you are very sure of yourself that you have all these qualities…. then contact African dating agency for hookup within 48 hours and make cool cash, anyone interested should start calling now for hookup…
NAME….JAMES BALOGUN
FB ID… BALOGUN SODIQ JAMES
EMILE ADDRESS…BALOGUNS60@YAHOO.COM
WHATSAPP NO…....+23408145236851