Written by Idowu Samuel and Taiwo Adisa, Abuja
Saturday, 12 June 2010
Pro-Bankole members in the House of Representatives are not taking the threat by their colleagues in the Progressive Group lightly, having resolved to launch a counter plot this time in far away London where majority of members are believed to be holidaying.
As at Friday, two principal officials of the House had jetted out to London, reportedly on invitation by members, who are already on ground to spend the two weeks’ break, with the aim of drawing plans aimed at neutralising the plot by aggrieved members against the Speaker.
A principal official, who disclosed this to Saturday Tribune in confidence, said much as the London group would be meeting, they are likely to invite their colleagues, many of who are also in South Africa for the FIFA World Cup to make a brief visit to London, to take decisions on how to mitigate the growing crisis in the House.
It is not known whether the London group had extended a similar invitation to the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, but Saturday Tribune learnt that he may be on his way out of Nigeria any moment for an undisclosed location.
Some members of the House of Representatives, who are aggrieved with the style of leadership in the House, had addressed the media during the week, calling on Bankole to resign within the next seven days as they threatened to file cases of corruption against him before the anti-graft agencies.
Honourable Dino Melaye, who addressed newsmen on behalf of the aggrieved members, listed six offences against the Speaker, accusing him of being high handed, among other allegations.
The Minority Leader, Honourable Muhammed Ali Ndume, who reacted on behalf of the leadership, said he and others in the leadership cadre would not sit back and watch the House destabilised by a few of its members, and hence, called on those involved in the alleged threat to have a change of heart or face disciplinary action.
Since Melaye and other House members issued the ultimatum, most chairmen of committees, who felt threatened by the prospect of another round of crisis in the House, have also been networking with the aim of dousing the growing tension among members, ahead of resumption by members in the upper week.
Honourable Tam Brisibe, in a chat, said time constraint had been the major challenge for the anti-Bankole members to carry out their threat and ensure the impeachment of the Speaker.
Brisibe, representing Rivers State, said he would not blame the media for reporting the angst by Progressive Group against Bankole, stressing, however, that the ability of the group to muster majority support at this point in time with some weeks to campaign period would prove a major task.
In the same vein, Chairman, Committee on Health, Honourable Alaba Ojomo, said the issue of number would not allow the anti-Bankole members to sail with their attempt to remove the Speaker, as he expressed doubt that they could get the required number.
Members of the Progressives Group in the House of Representatives, who are opposed to the leadership style of Speaker Dimeji Bankole, are said to have opened an impeachment register late on Thursday, following series of meetings they held after issuing on the Speaker a seven-day ultimatum on Wednesday.
A source close to the group said that its activities had reached the next stage and that the next programme of the Progressives was to close in on Bankole.
“We are not about to retreat and we will not surrender in this case until we fight injustice and highhandedness to a logical conclusion,” a member of the Progressives told the Saturday Tribune.
It was gathered that the signature drive started from key members of the Progressives, who are said to be 40.
Besides the original members of the Progressives, it was gathered that the signature drive is being prosecuted on a six geo-political zonal structure, with a member handling a particular zone.
It was also gathered that the members had collated documents which indicate that the funds belonging to the House were being mismanaged. A source said that details of the documents are to be made public at a press briefing after the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum.
Sources said that the members are of the view that the purchase of the wasteful items was aimed at mismanaging the common pause to the benefit of a few.
Sources also said that besides the alleged offences committed by the Speaker, which were reeled out by the spokesman of the Progressives, Hon. Dino Melaye, members have also received some documents relating to the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) scam which led to the trial of the chairmen of the Committee of Power in the Senate and the House of Representatives, Senator Nicholas Ugbane and Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, respectively.
The Human Rights Justice and Peace Foundation (HRJPF) headed by Comrade Chidi Nwosu had on June 4, 2010 petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asking it to arraign the Speaker for alleged complicity in the REA scam.
Meanwhile, a division has occurred within Oyo State caucus of the House of Representatives as members have debunked claims credited to one of their members, Hon. Depo Oyedokun, which indicated that the caucus is backing the embattled Speaker.
A member of the caucus, Honourable Kamil Akinlabi, who told Saturday Tribune that he had the mandate of a majority of the members of the Oyo State caucus in the House of Representatives, said in Abuja that the group did not mandate Oyedokun to defend Bankole.
He stated that only three members attended the briefing addressed by Oyedokun, adding that he did not inform other members before jumping to defend Bankole.
Hon. Akinlabi also stated that the caucus rejected the comments credited to Oyedokun about the scuffle in the Oyo State House of Assembly.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment