Uproar as police besiege Nigeria's National Assembly, with Chambers Shut
- Thursday, 20 November 2014 22:51
- Written by Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Adamu Abuh, Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Terhemba Daka, Karls Tsokar (Abuja), Wole Oyebade (Lagos) and John Ogiji (Minna)
- Category: Lead Story
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.• Mark's intervention rebuffed, Senate summons inspector-general • Presidency, police defend action, APC decries Tambuwal's ordeal
• Senators suspend debate on emergency rule, Reps reject extension
IT was a moment when the sanctity of the National Assembly was violated as lawmakers' defiance of a siege of the parliament by armed mobile police officers and hooded operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) degenerated into complete mayhem .
The mission of the security operatives, it was learnt, was to prevent the convoy of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, from gaining access into the parliament.
The speaker who was accompanied by some of his colleagues in the lower chamber was tear-gassed by the police and forced to trek from the main gate to the main complex also known as "White House" since his convoy was barred allegedly on "orders from above" for more than half an hour.
But the convoy of the Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha was earlier allowed to pass through the same route at 10:21a.m.
As the crisis brewed, access to the Three Arms Zone which hosts the National Assembly was denied. This led to the disruption of business activities.
The Three Arms Zone is a district of Abuja, so named because it provides accommodation for the headquarters of the three arms of government. The Supreme Court (judiciary), the National Assembly (legislature), and the Presidential Villa (executive) as well as several other federal buildings.
Some of the workers, especially civil servants, who daily resume work at the National Assembly could not access their offices as the area was completely cordoned off by the security agents.
The House of Representatives was scheduled to reconvene yesterday at a special session for the purpose of considering the request by President Goodluck Jonathan for the extension of the emergency rule in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe .
Despite formally introducing himself at one of the three barricaded gates as the Speaker of the House of Representatives about 10:30 a.m., the security operatives led by the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, barred Tambuwal.
The speaker said: ''Gentlemen, my name is Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and I am the Speaker of this House. I am here as our constitution demands to go in and preside over the sitting of the House. Officers, I would like to know who the commanding officer is here."
"Can you identify me as the Speaker of this House?" he asked. The policemen who were bent on carrying out their orders remained mute as the speaker made enquiries. Having received no response from them, Tambuwal moved back and stood in the sun, waiting for a likely commanding officer to come.
About 11:13 a.m., Tambuwal was informed of a small gate which was half-opened and went forward alongside some members . He made his way into the complex with the police firing several rounds of tear-gas canisters at him while his colleagues and some aides formed a ring to shield him.
The drama continued after the speaker's entry as other lawmakers who were hitherto not allowed into the complex had to resort to scaling the heavy metal barricade.
Those who made their way in through climbing included the Minority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos), his Deputy, Suleiman Abdrahman Kawu (Kano), Bimbo Daramola (Ekiti), and Samuel Adejare (Lagos) .
At the lobby of the 'white house' which accommodates both chambers of the National Assembly, the police on sighting the speaker resorted to the throwing of tear-gas canisters, a development which ignited pandemonium, forcing everyone around including lawmakers to scamper for safety as the speaker was guarded into the chamber.
In the chamber, attempts by the Senate President, David Mark, to intervene in the imbroglio were met by hostility from members who expressed fury at his belated show of concern, alleging that he could have been part of the plot by the executive.
Mark who could not gain audience from the leadership of the House due to the hostile manner in which members received him subsequently announced the shutting down of the National Assembly till next week Tuesday.
Mark also invited the Inspector-General of Police to appear before the Senate on resumption next Tuesday.
He said: "Because of the very unfortunate incident in the National Assembly this morning, I have decided to shut down the National Assembly today - both the Senate and House of Representatives until Tuesday next week.
"We will also invite the Inspector-General of Police to appear before us here on Tuesday. There will be no business in the National Assembly today. It remains shut till Tuesday next week."
Mark went further to condemn the application of maximum force on parliamentarians and civil servants who were in their respective offices to execute their daily responsibilities.
He added that the Senate had suspended discussions on emergency rule till next Tuesday, when service chiefs are billed to appear before it.
But the authorities of the police said the operation was within the ambit of the law.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) Emmanuel Ojukwu, police made their defence . They said that due to "an intelligence report of a likely invasion of the House of Representatives by hoodlums and thugs, the Nigeria Police Force promptly deployed its personnel to the premises to prevent a breakdown of law and order."
Ojukwu said the police had blocked the entrance to the chambers of the National Assembly with the intention to ensure that unwarranted persons would not gain access into the area. "Consequently, the police cordoned off the National Assembly and began screening of all members and visitors who wished to access the building.
"In the course of this lawful exercise, Aminu Tambuwal, CFR, arrived at the venue with a motley crowd, who broke the cordon, assaulted the police and evaded due process and the police had the duty to restore order and normalcy, using lawful means."
While stating that the Inspector General of Police Suleiman Abba had warned politicians and their followers against the use of thugs to settle scores and other issues that relate to their ambitions, the statement insisted that constituted authorities must be respected, as the police would not withhold the use of legal means to protect the citizens.
Similarly, the presidency described the action taken by the police as a move to protect the constitution and the law.
At a press conference in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said that "the building up of negative emotions against the president over the National Assembly situation should stop."
Okupe continued: "Assumption on whether the police boss was acting on instruction from the president should stop. The IGP is a very senior officer of the government and his duties are to enforce the law.
"He doesn't need to get the villa to enforce the law. He is not a houseboy. Though he works under the government he is expected to defend the law. The IGP has the duty to enforce the law.
"He acted in the discharge of his duty. The IGP didn't invade the assembly. It is wrong to assume that."
"The position of the IG is that the moment Tambuwal defected from his political party, he had vacated his seat. He is defending the position of the law."
Lamenting the sad situation in the Assembly, Okupe said: "The whole scenario as we witnessed it is rather unfortunate. We wish that at all times, national interest should supersede all other interests including personal and political interests.
"From government's perspective, the overriding concern today is the issue of insurgency which necessitated the request by the president that the National Assembly considers an extension of the state of emergency to give the security forces the needed legal framework and space for a successful prosecution of the war against Boko Haram terrorists.
"It is our hope that the honourable members of the House of Representatives will use the period of adjournment to resolve all matters so that they can resume to deliberate and act on issues of national importance."
However, former Head of State, Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), yesterday joined other Nigerians in condemning the attack on the National Assembly.
Buhari who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said in Abuja: " If it is true the speaker was shut out of the chamber, then those who are supposed to defend the constitution are subverting it and God help us."
Erstwhile Vice President Atiku Abubakar who spoke in the same vein condemned the Jonathan administration for "harassing and humiliating perceived political enemies."
In a statement by his media office, Atiku said that the "siege mentality" of the Jonathan administration posed grave threats to the country's democracy, the rule of law and the separation of powers as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended.
"Obviously, the emergency rule has failed to stem the unrest. The Federal Government must work with, rather than against those who understand and have been elected by the people to govern," Atiku counselled.
A chieftain of the APC, Chief Audu Ogbeh, also condemned the incident, saying: "That is lawlessness. Where the police begin to interpret the constitution and bully a democratic institution, that is the beginning of anarchy."
Outraged at the crisis in the National Assembly, the APC has accused Jonathan of sabotaging his "own administration's war against Boko Haram on the altar of personal vindictiveness and political desperation."
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said just because he was so desperate to oust Tambuwal as the Speaker of House of Representatives, Jonathan ensured that the House could not meet as scheduled yesterday to consider his request for an extension of the state of emergency .
The PDP has described the attack on lawmakers as embarrassing and distanced itself and the Presidency from the development.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement said lawmakers "are responsible adults elected by their constituencies and
wondered what would have happened if the law enforcement agencies were not there to maintain law and order."
In a statement by Governor Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers State that the opposition would form a parallel government if the PDP wins the 2015
general elections, the party said it was shocked by the comment especially coming from an elected person. It cautioned Amaechi against unduly overheating the system and urged him to
concentrate on his duties in his state.
While the Lagos State House of Assembly condemned the crisis, the Governor of Niger State, Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, has tendered an unreserved apology to Mark over the "unruly conduct" of Abdullahi Degechi Usman Cheche.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Israel Ebije, Aliyu said Niger State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), government and people of the state were embarrassed by the action of the lawmaker.
Aliyu said that already the Niger State PDP had commenced a disciplinary action against the House member , adding that his action must be addressed to serve as a deterrent to others.
Besides, the House of Representatives yesterday turned down the request by Jonathan to extend the emergency rule .
The spokesman of the House, Alhaji Zakari Mohammed, explained that an extension of the emergency rule was needless since Jonathan had been empowered by law to keep the peace in the country.
Zakari who briefed reporters shortly after the lawmakers met behind closed doors justified the motion to that effect moved by Deputy House leader, Mr. Leo Ogor and unanimously adopted at the session with Tambuwal presiding over the controversial issue.
"We have not extended the emergency rule. Rather we have asked the President to rely on Section 8 of the Armed Forces Act which empowers the president to deploy the military to troubled spots in the country. We rely on that bearing in mind that if we had approved this today, it would have been the fourth since the request for emergency rule started in May 2013.
"And therefore we have done three extensions and if we had extended today, that would have been fourth in the series. Anything you are doing you should be able to take stock of what you are seeing whether or not that action you are taking is yielding results. The president should rely on that because if you take a course that is not yielding results, it simply means that the president should take another course. The Armed Forces Act empowers him to deploy members of the armed forces to any troubled point in this country."
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