The speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, is expected to answer to allegations that he raised unauthorised loans from a bank.
Dimeji Bankole, the speaker of the House of Representatives, is to respond today to fresh allegations of fraud raised against him by his colleagues in an unprecedented move which has further highlighted the cracks within the house, barely weeks to its end of session.
Mr Bankole is expected to answer to allegations that he raised unauthorised loans from a bank - which in a way has led to the delay in the payment of members' allowances - and that he unilaterally ordered the suspension of the house's sitting last week.
Lawmakers agreed to delay a proposal for Mr Bankole's suspension until he personally answers to the accusations raised by Dino Melaye, the leader of a group of 11 members suspended last year for a similar allegation.
The speaker was also criticised for his decision to "unceremoniously" adjourn the house sitting last week, and for locking out members yesterday as they reported for plenary without notice.
"This house is a house of order and what happened is a breach of the rules of this house," Mr. Melaye told his colleagues when the house finally convened late afternoon after the deputy speaker, Usman Nafada, who presided, intervened. "There is leadership failure except you don't want to speak the truth." The rare decision, coming as the house draws nearer to its final plenary date of June 4, showcased the financial crisis that have rocked the lower federal legislature that has been troubled throughout its four year tenure, with scarcely investigated graft allegations.
Target of allegations
Mr Bankole has been a key figure in many of the allegations raised by his colleagues. In 2008, he was named in an alleged car purchase scam involving over N2.9bn and Mr Melaye-led group, "The Progressives" made public documents in 2010 purporting the misuse of N9 billion house capital votes.
Throughout the period, the speaker kept his seat, falling back on a majority support he enjoyed from the members, who helped him dislodge Mr Melaye's group.
But the tides now seems to be against the speaker after many members lost reelection bids, and have yet to receive the expected severance allowance-the equivalent of 11-month pay. For the first time, majority of the lawmakers backed calls for his suspension and investigation yesterday, only agreeing to delay after Mr Nafada intervened.
In a session that debated the calls tabled by Mr Melaye, the representatives, many of them Mr. Bankole's key supporters, made no effort to conceal their support for the dramatic decision.
"These are hard times," said Abdul Ningi, a three-term member and now a senator-elect, from Bauchi State, who for years remained part of the inner circle that sustained Mr Bankole's leadership.
"The issues raised here are very weighty and grave and cannot be overlooked. They deserve to be considered by us."
Hungry for funds
Independence Ogunewe, who has served as a deputy to Mr Melaye's campaign since their suspension last year, said the issues raised are fundamental.
"Many of us ran elections and came back here to recoup. The issue needs speed," he said.
The lawmakers resumed yesterday, after a sudden adjournment last week, to meet the chamber locked, reportedly on the orders of the speaker. Officials said the order was to forestall a planned disruption of the session by Mr Melaye's group over the non-payment of their allowances.
As the plenary eventually opened, Mr Melaye detailed to the house how investigations about their withheld pay indicated that in breach of civil service rules, cheques were raised on the allowances of the 11 members on suspension. By November, the cheques had started to vanish, he said.
He said the official banker of the house, the United Bank of Africa, UBA plc confirmed that their cash and the severance allowances of the members had been released by the Central Bank of Nigeria but had been confiscated by the commercial bank on account of the loan obtained by the speaker in the name of the house.
"In the interest of my children school fees, in the interest of my aged mother and father in the village; in the interest of my lovely wife and children let this be investigated and our monies paid," he said, declining to state the amount of the house indebtedness to the bank after other members opposed.
Lawmakers insisted the speaker respond to charges today along with the Clerk of the House of Representatives, after an apology from the deputy speaker, Mr. Nafada, whose attempt to reassure the lawmakers that their allowances will be paid was ignored.
"It is unfortunate that this house we built together is ending this way," said a three-term member, West Idahosa.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com