Forgive us, Bankole pleads with students over brawl

By Ini Ekott and Festus Owete

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, yesterday apologised to students of City Royal School, Nyanya, who witnessed clashes at the chamber a fortnight ago.

Mr. Bankole, who visited the school at the outskirts of Abuja, told hundreds of students and staff of the institution who gathered at the school’s auditorium on Monday morning that, “I want to use this time to apologise to you over what happened. It should not have happened,” he said.

Witnesses to a Sordid Drama

Seventy of the students witnessed the lawmakers’ scuffle on June 22, after arriving for the routine student visits to the National Assembly.

They watched from the over-arching gallery as the Speaker’s order for the suspension of 11 members who accused him of corruption, which rapidly leapt the session into chaos, during which members fought openly and were stripped and ejected.

The suspended lawmakers said Mr. Bankole and his officials have misappropriated N9 billion of the House’s 2009 capital budget, and asked for his removal.

Back in their school that Tuesday morning, the students were told such violent disputes occur elsewhere, the Girls Prefect, Roseline Odoh, recalled. They were, however, tutored that the key lays with the reason for the rift, and not the rift itself.

“It was very painful to us,” said Ms. Odoh. “We later got to know that it happens in other parliaments, but that it depends on why they fight.”

Mr. Bankole said the crisis was caused by a breach of legislative process.

“Let me explain to you why it happened”, he began. “It happened because some of us decided not to obey our set down rules. In every society, and in every organisation, there are rules that guide people, just as there are rules in this school. On this particular day, I believe a few of our colleagues flouted the rules of the House.

Why law and order broke down

“If you take the law into your hands, then you face the consequences,” Mr. Bankole stressed.

“And this is the best time to start learning to respect rules, before going out to join the larger society; otherwise, you may end up just like you saw that day.”

The students urged the Speaker to lead the return of peace to the deeply troubled chamber, and called for the reinstatement of the 11 affected members.

“We want to ask from you that this great mind in you, let it be in all the members of the House. We pray that peace will dwell in the House and most importantly, all those who have erred will equally be forgiven,” the school’s Moral Prefect, David Sunday, requested.

Mr. Bankole said the idea was “wonderful” and will be considered.

“It is the request, a wonderful idea, and we would consider it. We are adults and we have responsibilities of managing ourselves as leaders, and I can assure you that we would come to amicable resolution,” he promised.