Group gives Senate one week to recall Ndume

A coalition of civil society group has called on the Nigerian Senate to recall Ali Ndume, a senator representing Borno South Senatorial district who was suspended on Wednesday 29th of March 2107 for six months for drawing the attention of the Senate to publications on the importation of a Range Rover bullet proof car with fake document by the Senate President and Dino Malaye’s fake certificate.

Speaking in Abuja at the weekend, the President of Network of Civil Society in Nigeria, Nwambu Gabriel stated that in the 5thAssembly, Masari’s certificate issue was raised by Bulus, Masari was investigated and found innocent and Bulus was not suspended nor reprimanded.

According to him, “the Network of Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria hereby demand that the senate recall Ali  Ndume within one week of this publication, we as Civil Society Organization would be compelled to take other measures if the senate does not comply with our demands” he noted.

Nwambu explained that, “we have observed with keen interest the unfolding drama in the senate plenary, the attention of the senate was drawn by Bala Ibn NaAllah representing Kebbi South Senatorial district of Kebbi state to a publication in Punch newspaper on a statement credited to Isa Saggy stating that the senate is full of corrupt people”.

“The senate committee on ethics and privileges then summoned Isa Saggy who said expressly that the senate has no power to summon him. Ibn NaAllah has not been suspended nor reprimanded for no due diligence on the matter subject before drawing the attention of the senate on the matter.”

He stated also that during the 6th Assembly, Dimaji Bankole certificate issue was raised by a member of the House, the member was not punished even while Bankole was not found wanting. “Still in the 6th Assembly, former speaker Olubumi Ete also had certificate issues raised by a member of the House of Representative, none was punished.”

“In the senate, Evens Enwerem was investigated, no member of the Senate was suspended yet he lost his seat. Chuba Okadigbo was investigated, yet the senator who raised the issue was not punished. Again, senator Wagbara was investigated and removed, yet the senator who drew the attention of the senate to the matter was not reprimanded” Nwambu stated.

He noted that, “it is worthy of mention here that there is no section of the Senate rule that requires the senate to do diligence on any matter before bringing it to the floor of the senate.Importantly also, the fact that the senate did not rule Ali Ndume out of order means that it is the entire senate that should take the blames and not Ndume (see chapter iv, 14 and 15 of the senate rules) Nwambu stated.

Nwambu said the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is fast loosing integrity and bringing the entire country to ridicule “as we wonder and ponder if the senate is for a few interest or for the entire nation as their activities lately are tantamount to a near anarchy situation” adding that, the suspension of Ali Ndume came as though the senate was on a vengeance mission.