Ekweremadu and the military intervention speech

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has come into the eye of the storm in recent days over comments credited to him while contributing to a motion on the floor of the Senate. The development had drawn out the military and civil populace as well. Group Politics Editor, Taiwo Adisa, examines Ekweremadu’s outbursts and the heatwaves over his comments.

ON March 7, the Senate took a motion which examined the rising waves of violence and political intolerance in the land.  Many of the lawmakers readily made contributions to the motion.

What has been unusual is the heat being generated by the reactions to comments made by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on the matter.

Ekweremadu, while reacting to the motion by Senator Ahmed Ogembe on the violence that was unleashed on him and his supporters during an empowerment programme in Okene, Kogi Central senatorial district, said that the spate of violence in the country was becoming unbearable and that political actors should not take its democracy for granted.

The Deputy Senate President hit the contentious cord when he said, “So, the problem in Nigeria now is that our democracy is receding and the international community needs to know this. Who said that the Army cannot take over in Nigeria? It is possible.

“So, let us not joke with our democracy especially with the way they are going.”

Senator Ogembe had moved a motion on the “increased and alarming spate of political intimidation and violence in Kogi Central senatorial district of Kogi State,” to alert his colleagues to the thuggery unleashed on him and his supporters when he attempted to hold an empowerment programme in Kogi Central.

Ogembe had noted that some hoodlums and miscreants descended on his supporters in Okenne, Kogi State and disrupted the empowerment programme. He added that he adequately notified the Nigeria Police Force Area Commander, Okene, and the Divisional Police Officer of

Okene, Okehi and Adavi council areas, adding that despite that, some thugs invaded the venue and unleashed violence on beneficiaries and his supporters.

• I never called for military intervention ―Ekweremadu

He also told the Senate that in recent times, political violence, kidnappings, killings, assassinations and such kinds of crimes have been a lot of his constituents and supporters in Kogi Central senatorial district.

He said, “l, as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. cannot go to my senatorial district to carry out a peaceful empowerment programme for my constituents without being harassed and intimidated.

“That a lot of my constituents and supporters were thoroughly beaten up, badly injured, some of them kidnapped and later dumped in bushes and uncompleted buildings. Indeed, as l speak, a lot of my constituents are lying critically injured and traumatised in hospitals across Kogi central senatorial district, and I acknowledge that the right to peaceful assembly and association is one of the fundamental rights contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended) which is the supreme law of the country.”

Shortly after Ekweremadu’s statement and the adoption of the motion by the Senate.  The Defence Headquarters reacted, insisting it was not contemplating a change of government in Nigeria. Brigadier General A Agim, Acting Director Defence Information, in a statement last week, said that while the Deputy Senate President’s statement appeared cautionary and sincere in the atmosphere of discourse, it is derogatory to the Army used in the expression and by extension to the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

He said, “The statement in the true sense has the capacity to denigrate the Nigerian military in every ramification including its loyalty to the President Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the confidence of the general public to defend Nigeria’s democracy.

“In the light of this, the Defence Headquarters wishes to state clearly that the Nigerian military has come of age and is in tune with best international military practices of complete and total subordination to democratic governance.

“In this regard, it is worthy to remind the general public about some key measures among others that guaranteed the present sustainable status of politically unambitious members of the armed forces.”

From the word go, the statement appeared sure to stir controversy.

Right on the floor of the Senate, the contention had started when the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio was the first to react to Ekweremadu.

Citing Order 53(4) of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as amended, which indicates that a Senator should restrict himself to the subject under discussion, Akpabio cautioned that the statement credited to the Deputy Senate President was out of line with the subject of discussion.

He said, “We believe strongly that with the will of all Nigerians and the support of God, that we have confined the idea of dictatorship to the background and our democracy will thrive forever. Never again shall we go into military rule. And that is not even contemplated in Africa, not to talk the most populous nation in the black race.”

The former Akwa-Ibom governor was however cautioned by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who clarified Ekweremadu’s submission.

Saraki said: “I’m sure you have taken the message out of context. I think we are all in support that the democracy has come to stay and there is no other alternative. I just came back from Ghana where they were celebrating 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, and as such, it is something that we too will celebrate and continue to celebrate even more than that.

“It is not really just about Kogi State, but it is clear from what we are seeing that Kogi is coming to a point where it is becoming a threat to our democracy and we are going to be very serious about it; and it cannot be seen to be defying our democracy because this is not what our democracy is about. For the role that we continue to make in the comity of nations, we must be seen to make good examples to other parts of the world.”

Despite the immediate clarification offered by Saraki on Ekweremadu’s submission, the public out there still went about with the impression that Ekweremadu was calling for military intervention.

The leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also joined the fray calling the military to face its constitutional duties rather than get involved in politics.

The party, in trying to also clarify the comments by Ekweremadu the PDP said that the Nigerian military should not to allow itself to be dragged into partisan politics, adding that Ekweremadu made a patriotic call on the ruling  All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government and some of its state governors to stop endangering democracy.

The statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, said that having watched the full video of SenatorEkweremadu’s contribution on the floor of the Senate severally, the PDP saw nothing that should warrant the statement issued by the Defence Headquarters on the matter.

The PDP said: “The PDP holds the institution of the Nigerian military in high esteem and we advise that it should not allow itself to be dragged into desperate attempts by the failed APC administration to criminalise every contrary view or attempt to call it to order.

“Every student of Nigeria’s history knows that executive excesses such as sponsored political violence, intimidation of opposition and dissent voices, human rights abuses, disrespect for court orders and disregard for the separation of powers and rule of law, as we have today in Nigeria, have always been the bane of the nation’s democracy.

“Nigerians are aware of the numerous flagrant disobedience to court orders by the APC-led administration as well as the harassment, arrest, detention and media trial of perceived political opponents of the government on the flimsiest trumped up charges, while established cases of corruption by the Presidency cabal are swept under thecarpet.”

The PDP also cited several examples of infractions to democratic tenets leading to the practical ban on Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso  from visiting his home state of Kano; how the house belonging to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi was pulled down by an APC government in Kaduna State and how a meeting by Senator Shehu Sani and other politicians from Kaduna State, was visited with horror. PDP also said it watched with dismay how a full squadron of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) laid siege on the grounds of a Court in Abuja to arrest Senator Dino Melaye, who was arraigned by the police over charges of reported attempt on his life.

The statement further read: “Senator Ekweremadu’s call therefore remains timely, patriotic and not inimical to the military or the nation, especially in the face of such violations and given the fact that he only reinforced the need to guard against actions that can scuttle our democracy as already raised by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai in 2017.

“Lt. Gen Buratai, in a statement issued by the Army Spokesman on May 16, 2017, raised an alarm that some persons were allegedly approaching some officers and soldiers for what he called ‘undisclosed political reasons’ and warned such persons to desist from these acts.

“The PDP therefore finds nothing wrong with the call by Distinguished Senator Ekweremadu on our political leaders to guard the nation’s democracy jealously by imbibing the principles of democratic rule. We hold that our democracy and its attendant benefits must be of paramount interest to all citizens of our dear nation at all times.

“Our military remains a respected institution and should not in any way allow the APC to use its gimmick to drag it in into partisan politics.”

Reading through Ekweremadu’s submissions on the floor of the Senate last week, an unbiased observer would also not come to the conclusion that the Senator was calling on the military to intervene.

He cautioned the political office holders to guide the democracy jealously adding that it appeared they were already taking things for granted.

After seeing the heat his statement was generating,  Ekweremadu issued further clarification denying ever calling for military intervention.

He may not really need to do so as his speech made on the floor of the Senate is covered by parliamentary immunity.

But in his statement titled “I Never Called For Military

Intervention,” the Deputy Senate President faulted reports and statements from some quarters insinuating that he called for a military intervention in the country.

He explained that parliamentarians had a duty to continue to defend democracy in the country and that such a conviction compelled him to caution fellow politicians against the mistakes of the past, which he said inevitably led to the abrupt end of the previous republics.

He said:  “We had one of our colleagues from Kogi, who was hosting a constituency briefing and empowerment. He alleged that the state government sponsored thugs to chase away people, disrupt the programme, and destroy the equipment he bought for his people.

“We condemned such acts, especially wherein a particular case, the house of a parliamentarian was pulled down. We condemned a case whereby parliamentarians were stopped from holding meetings and where a parliamentarian was stopped from coming to a state where he was governor for eight years.

“We warned that it was such reckless abuse of power and impunity that scuttled our previous republics, especially the first republic and I cautioned politicians not take our democracy for granted. “Of course, some people took it out of context and said I was calling for a military coup. I never called for a military coup. I never said the military was planning any coup. Even the military’s statement admitted that my statement was only cautionary and that we were sincere. But they went as far as saying that the international community should ignore my words of caution.

“I hold the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces in high regard. They have defended our democracy, our people and have acquitted themselves creditably. If they need anything now, it is an encouragement because this is not the best of times for them.

“But we do hope that when parliamentarians make statements, they (the military) should be able to know exactly what they said before reacting so that we don’t overheat the system.

“Our debate is circulating on the internet, unedited, and I never said the army was planning a coup and I never invited them to plan any coup. But I strongly hold the view that our political leaders should ere on the side of caution by refraining from past mistakes and actions inimical to democratic practice.”

Notwithstanding the heat being generated in the polity about Ekweremadu’s statements, a careful reading of his submissions during the debate on the floor of the Senate would show he was directing his words of caution at the political class.

 

What Ekweremadu said on Senate floor:

“I want to tell our brother Ogembe that some of us passed through the route before but by the grace of God we are here and those oppressors are at home because it is God that gives power. You know your Excellency, sometimes in life, people think they are God. They play God because people have given them the opportunity to superintend over the affairs of men. So, they think that they became what they are by their special power and assume God. But ultimately, God intervenes to show them that they are not God.

“In 2011 to 2015, I passed through something worse than what he was telling us here. The then Governor of my state was my friend, as he then was, my professional colleague, a lawyer for that matter. But there was nothing he didn’t do to repress me. Traditional rulers were banned from coming to my house. I bought a car for the association of traditional rulers in my senatorial district; and because they accepted that vehicle, the chairman was removed from office and dethroned as a traditional ruler but by the grace of God, he is back to his office, and the man who dethroned him is outside.

“I also arranged for a medical mission to one of the local governments in my district which is in the federal constituency of the governor, in Ezeagu. Your Excellency, distinguished colleagues, he sent thugs, chased those people away, destroyed all the equipment and some of those old men who came for their eye treatment had a lot of shocks and complicated health issues. So, we saw worse than what Ogembe saw.

“At a particular time, one community wanted to give me a traditional title, the government decreed that there will be no giving of traditional titles in that state for the next one year. So, the Commissioner of Police came to the place to enforce it. First, he came to my house to tell me that the governor said that he should go and enforce the decree in Enugu State, that there should be no chieftaincy title in Enugu State for the next one year. And I told that Commissioner of Police to go to the venue and then come and tell me if it is something that he can stop. He went and came back and said that it would take the whole of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, to stop it. And that chieftaincy title took place. The interesting thing is that I am here today and the man who was responsible for all these things is right there in his village because it is only God that gives power.

“You recall that sometime last year when they wanted to recall Senator Dino, I advised the Governor that they were wasting the resources of that state, because that is a mission impossible. They said that I was talking nonsense. They took three pages of an advert and were abusing me. Are we still hearing about the recall till today? All

those monies have been wasted; the money that would have been used to pay workers’ salaries in Kogi was used to mobilise people to recall Senator Dino. Yet those people are still unpaid and Dino is still here; he has not been recalled.

“So, today, I am advising the Governor again, that the road he is travelling will not lead him to anywhere. But ultimately, these people you are seeing here will be back here, and if he doesn’t stop, there is no way he will come back in Kogi State in 2019. God will show him that he is God for justice; He determines who gets what. And that is the same message to all those people who have caused all kinds of problems in Nigeria at different levels.

“So, the problem in Nigeria now is that our democracy is receding, and the international community needs to know this. Who says that the Army cannot take over in Nigeria? It is possible. So, let us not joke with our democracy especially with the way they going.

“Last two weeks, we were talking about the house of a Senator which was destroyed in Kaduna State. We were talking about how security people laid siege on Dino; we are talking of Kwankwaso, who was stopped from going to his state, Kano State which he ruled for eight years. In Kaduna, Shehu Sani cannot organise a meeting, and we are talking about democracy. And somebody says this democracy is going to continue this way, it is not going to continue. People are holding meetings every day on how to deal with each and every one of us here.

“So, there is a need for the international community to know this because they helped us to restore democracy to Nigeria. And some gang of people are trying to truncate the entire democracy. We are now a second-class citizen not just in Africa but even in West Africa, where we are supposed to be controlling.

“The only institution left to save our democracy, to save our nation is this National Assembly, and we will never shy away from that responsibility, no matter the oppression, no matter the intimidation.

“Men will do whatever they want to do, but God will have the final say.”