The Senate has set up a
nine-member committee to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on an allegation
that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, is trying to implicate the
Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
The lawmakers arrived at this
decision after a lengthy deliberation.
Mr Saraki on Wednesday told his
colleagues that the police chief had transferred some criminal suspects
undergoing interrogation in Kwara to Abuja to make statements to implicate him.
Commenting on the issue, Gbenga
Ashafa (Lagos-APC) and Philip Aduda (FCT-PDP) suggested that a joint committee
of the Senate and House of Representatives be constituted because Mr Saraki is
the chairman of the National Assembly.
The Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye,
differed. He proposed that the Senate should set up a committee of seven with a
chairman and one person from each geo-political zone and brief the House of
Representatives which could choose to do so or not.
Sam Anyanwu (Imo-PDP) said the
situation is a manifestation of a warning he gave his colleagues some months
ago. He added that there is a plot to bring down senators who are critical of
government.
“If this matter has to do with
the President of the Senate, then all of us are in trouble. I remember I said
this that from February, all for us should be prepared, one after the other, it
has come to that point.
“I’m looking at a situation where
we don’t look at geo-political zones, we look for crack people who can do a
forensic investigation and bring it to the public domain so that Nigerians can
understand the persecution we are going through now.
“As it stands, I can assure you,
some of us have been earmarked just because we speak out. But as far as I’m
concerned, it’s only one bullet and one life.”
Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara-APC) said
the committee should be set up to meet with the President rather than
investigate and turn out a report which may not be acted upon.
He said, “Instead of
investigating, I want to suggest the committee be made of well-experienced
people should sit down with the president and discuss the issue.
“These things are capable of
turning our democracy upside down. We are going to conduct investigation, after
the investigation where are you carrying the resolution or the report to? It
will further pit the National Assembly against the Executive. Let us raise this
committee and let them sit with Mr President.”
Isa Misau (Bauchi-APC) wants his
colleagues to be prepared as more of such ‘victimisation,’ targeted at 2019
elections, will still occur.
“The police is just being used as
face for this, there are other security organisations behind what is happening.
And all this things is about 2019 election,” he said.
The lawmakers shouted down a
colleague, Francis Alimikhena (Edo-APC), who proposed that such committee as
constituted should ‘get in touch with the IGP.’
Next was Senate Leader, Ahmed
Lawan, who opposed Mr Alimikhena’s prayer.
“Today would have been the best
day for us to walk in and pass the 2018 budget but that’s not to be. I will
subscribe to the idea that we don’t continue to beat a dead horse to constitute
an ad-hoc committee to invite the police to explain or the IG. The idea of
meeting Mr President to me is the best.
“Let me say that some people
could be taking advantage at certain points to do certain things that Mr
President would have no idea. Therefore, it’s an opportunity for our delegation
to meet Mr President to explain everything.”
The Senate thereafter constituted
a nine-man committee to meet with President Buhari.
The committee is to be chaired by
the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Other members of the committee
are Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan; Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye; Minority Leader,
Godswill Akpabio; Danjuma Goje; Sam Anyanwu; Aliyu Wammako; Fatima Raji-Rasaki;
and Oluremi Tinubu.
The lawmakers quashed a call by
Mr Marafa that the delegation should be led by another person because of Mr
Saraki’s involvement.
Mr Lawan justified his
involvement on the ground that some other matters may be discussed in the
meeting with Mr President.
“I supported the inclusion of the
Senate President for one fact. In my submission earlier, I said this is one
issue that will take us to Mr President but remember, this is symptomatic of
what is happening. So, I believe that certain other issues may come up and you
need the Senate President to be there.”
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What the senate president has to do with criminals/ cultists in the state who have voluntarily confessed their atrocities...I don't want to belief that our honorable senate president knows much about these people,because there's nothing concern him if those criminals were moved to heaven to try their cases...Rumors had it that those guys are regular customers of the police in the state and I think the arrest is taken a new dimension this time around,so why the noises??
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