Reps in rowdy session over 10 slain NYSC members

The floor of the House of Representatives got rowdy again yesterday.
But Speaker Dimeji Bankole moved fast to prevent a debate on the killing of 10 National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members and the future of the scheme from degenerating into a brawl.
The Chairman of the Committee on Business and Rules, Mr. Ita Enang and Chairman of the Committee on Police Affair Mr Abdul Ningi, exchanged hot words over the issue. They almost traded blows.

Enang, moving an amendment to the prayers of a motion by Mr. Dino Melaye, said Youth Corps members from states, such as Bauchi, Borno and Kaduna, where the killings took place, should undergo their national service in their states of origin.
Ningi (Bauchi State), believing that his proposed amendment implied that no Youth Corps members should be posted to those states from other parts of the country, sprang up to his feet, shouting and pointing his finger menacingly at Enang.
He said: “What do you mean by that? What do you mean by that?” 
Enang also shouted back at him, almost bringing the session to a temporary halt. But Bankole restored calm when he persuaded Enang to withdraw his amendment.
He also did not allow Austin Nwachukwu to complete a motion he was moving. “I don’t understand how young men and women will be sent on national assignment only to return as corpses,” Nwachukwu said.
The crisis followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Melaye, which was brought under matters of urgent national importance.
Melaye said the N5 million given to each of the families of the slain Corps members was meagre and insufficient to compensate their families. 
His words: “I want this House to urge the Federal Government to reconsider the compensation of N5 million it gave to each of the families of the 10 NYSC members. I believe that adequate respect should be given to fallen heroes. To promote patriotism and selfless service to our fatherland, the Gederal Government must be advised to increase this compensation”.
Friday Itulah cautioned that the motion ought to be deferred till the Sheikh Lemu-led Presidential Investigative Panel on the post-election violence concluded its assignment and its report submitted. Leo Ogor, opposed the motion, saying the money was no compensation.
He urged the House not to start a trend that would not be in the best interest of the nation. 
It should not be misled into believing that the N5 million was meant as compensation, he said.
The House asked the Federal Government to immortalise the “NYSC 10” by naming some streets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja after them.
The House also urged the governors of the states of origin of the slain youths to name prominent streets after them.
The House also yesterday amended the rules governing the election of its Speaker.
As the sixth session prepares to wind down for the take-off of the seventh session, a new presiding officer will be elected through an open-secret ballot system, rather than through the electronic voting system as stipulated in the standing order.
This was sequel to the adoption of a motion brought before the House by the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Cyril Maduabum, entitled: “Amendment of the Standing of the House of Representatives Order II, Rule 3, (f) (i) and (ii).”
Maduabum noted; “that the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives provide that the method of voting when two or more members-elect are nominated and seconded as Speaker or Deputy Speaker shall be by electronic voting.”
According to him, no other method of voting is provided for under the rules of the House.
The lawmaker said the Electronic Voting Cards required for voting in the House of Representatives may not be ready for use for the new members-elect before voting for presiding officers in the House at the inauguration of the new session.
Maduabum said following the recent successful elections in Nigeria, “the House of Representatives should show example of transparency in the democratic election of its leaders.”
Enang and Igo Aguma, the Chairman of the House Committee on Gas Resources, supported the motion, while Independence Ogunnewe opposed it.
But other members of the House at plenary unanimously adopted the resolution of the motion to amend Order II, Rule 3, (f) (i) and (ii) to read:
“When two or more members-elect are nominated and seconded as speaker, the Election shall be conducted as follows”
(i) by open secret ballot;
(ii) voting by open secret ballot shall be conducted by the Clerks-at-the-Table using the list of the members-elect of the House, who shall each be given a ballot paper to cast his vote, with the proposer and the seconder as tellers.”

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