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Efforts by an amorphous body in the House of Representatives to orchestrate an impeachment move against the Speaker, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, meet a brick wall
By Desmond Utomwen/ Abuja
It was his first encounter with the blazing tension and confrontation that has signposted the lower chamber. And like the storm that swept his predecessor, Patricia Etteh, out of office, the traducers of Dimeji Bankole, Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, chose a time he was away from the country to strike. The storm began gathering shortly after the House proceeded on the end of first session recess and the Speaker jetted out for a tour of the United States, United Kingdom and France.
Members who were uncomfortable with the way the Speaker has been running the House since his ascension in November last year, moved into action and embarked on a subtle membership drive to buoy its rank. Unlike the reasons of financial impropriety advanced for the removal of Etteh, Bankole was simply accused of embarking on incessant trips outside the country. And the timing for the impeachment bid was carefully chosen to coincide with the time Bankole was away on yet another trip.
To the aggrieved members, as justifiable as Bankole would want to present his latest trip, they believe that “most of the journeys are often on frivolous grounds.” This situation, they maintain, has taken its toll on attendance and discipline in the House. An aggrieved member complained: “Some members are worried that the Speaker hardly sits to preside over the House. And once he travels, members too don’t take attendance seriously and this is affecting House legislative activities.” Aside, the frequent trips are believed by the disgruntled members, to constitute a waste of public fund. Many lawmakers have also complained that the Speaker kept them in the dark over the value of the trips, while some committee chairmen also accused him of excluding them from his entourage. In what appeared like a response, however, last Tuesday, Bankole defended his travels, maintaining they are occasioned by the need to garner useful insight that would add value to the activities of the House. He noted that while some lawmakers were engaged in “oversight functions, some used the opportunity to visit their constituencies in order to acquaint themselves with the aspirations of those who elected them. Others travelled outside the country for important official engagements. But whichever way we spent the period of this adjournment, I believe that each of us has garnered useful insights that would add value to the activities as we resume the 2008 and 2009 legislative session.” Apparently hitting at the opposition, Bankole, reading from a prepared speech, warned: “It is either you are with us or not. It is either you are with the Federal Republic of Nigeria or not. This is our resolve. That is what we set out to do.” According to him, “I am glad and exceedingly proud as well, to know that we have since replaced that episode of divisive partisanship with an era of constructive partnership. This House is united by the common purpose to do the most good for the greater number, with our scarce resources.
“Nigerians will expect us to rise to challenges and exhibit leadership as true representatives of our people. We have decided to take our oversight functions exceedingly serious. We are taking on institutions in a manner in which we have never done before. We are under no illusion as to the consequences of what we are doing. Get ready for more political shenanigans.”Although the plot against Bankole was overtly premised on the alleged incessant trips, the scheme is rather deeply rooted in more unspoken interests championed by some members within with the backing of some external influences. And investigations by this magazine revealed that Bankole’s sins are legion before his hunters. Chief among these is the expected replacement of some of the chairmen of the 72 standing committees considered to be non-performing. This reason is double-edged. Following the removal of the former speaker, Patricial Etteh, for reasons remotely connected with the assumed imbalance in the sharing of committee positions, most of the members who supported the removal of Etteh for selfish reasons had expected immediate reshuffling and allocation of committee chairmanship positions, thereby giving them access to “more juicy committees”. But the Speaker seems to have, in their opinion, delayed action for too long since his assumption on 1 November last year. And now they are baying for his blood. Yet some who currently hold chairmanship positions, particularly those who were loyal to Etteh, are jittery that they may lose their positions should the status quo be tinkered with. Their fear may not be unfounded. Shortly before the recent recess, the Speaker had complained of non-performance by some chairmen, resulting in the non-execution of House assignments. Consequently, effort is being made to redeploy some members to areas where their impact would be adequately felt. This, to them, is indicative of imminent sack.
But House Leader, Tunde Akogun, told this magazine that contrary to the popular opinion, the complaint by the Speaker and the bid to redeploy some members do not constitute dissolution of the committees. This position was echoed by House Committee Chairman on Media and Publicity, Hon Eziuche Ubani. He explained that the selection committee had completed its work by moving members to committees where they would be relevant, adding that the list of the committees and their new members would soon be released.In the same vein, it was also learnt that disquiet in the House has its root in the alleged inclusion of nine principal officers as members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. Members started kicking when they learnt that the principal officers would take the slots of their states on the committee, thereby foreclosing the possibility of other lawmakers from their states deciding who to represent them.
The principal officers that are believed to be in the committee include the Majority Leader, Mr. Tunde Akogun, Edo; Deputy Leader, Alhaji Baba Agie, Niger; Chief Whip, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, Imo, and Deputy Chief Whip, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto. Others are the Minority Leader, Alhaji Mohammed Ndume, Borno; Deputy Minority Leader, Alhaji Suleiman Kawu, Kano; the Action Congress Leader in the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, Lagos, and Deputy Minority Whip, Mr. Bello Maladum, Zamfara.
The argument of those opposed to this arrangement is that some states might be denied quality representations in the committee. The House is expected to nominate 36 members, one from each of the 36 states of the federation, to serve on the joint committee along with those from the Senate that will be chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu. This is said to be one of the reasons the House has been unable to constitute its committee, whereas the Senate has since constituted theirs for some weeks now.
Minority Leader, Ali Ndume who confirmed the silent protest by many aggrieved members however added that the House took its decision because it wanted to ensure that it had “quality representation and experience” on the committee. “For example, in my own case, I am from Borno State. As the Minority Leader of the House, I ought to serve on the committee. You see, we do not want to toy with the constitution review issue; we have to get the people who will do it well,” he said.
The N2.3bn budget of the House for the purchase of members’ cars for committee work is also generating controversy, as members are criticising the leadership for allegedly failing to brief them on details of the transaction. The pro-Bankole and those opposed to him are well differentiated. Behind Bankole are key members of the Integrity Group, who are not treating the matter lightly. They are keen on protecting the Speaker they installed against the wish of the PDP.
But influencing the opposition from outside is the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who is unrelenting in his bid to redress the sack of his favourite, Etteh as well as massage his bruised ego in the process. Both Obasanjo and Bankole are from Ogun State. At the beck and call of Obasanjo with the needed finances are some key people in both the oil and power sectors which are currently under probe by the House. Bankole’s sin is that he allowed the probe into these sectors and removing him from the office would serve as a political lesson.
But sensing the move against him, the Speaker called for a detailed list of all financial transactions by the House, from when he assumed its leadership to the last date of the session. The move disconcerted the the opposition. The spending by the House is always a sore spot in issues that affect the lawmakers. And to play safe, the Speaker was said to have left financial matters at the disposal of the Deputy Speaker. While this may comfortably put the deputy speaker at a vantage position to dispense patronage to members while erecting his power bloc, it has also made it easier for Bankole to always activate his deputy on a mission of quelling any revolt. And in this case, the deputy speaker had no choice than to act fast.
It was gathered that while Bankole was away, the acting Clerk of the House, Mr. Niyi Ajiboye, and Deputy Speaker, Usman Bayero Nafada, made some payments which were not authorised by the House leadership. A particular case, it was learnt, is the N400 million allegedly taken out of the House coffers as “sundry payments”. The money was said to have been paid on 2 June, while Bankole was away in the US with about 25 members of the House.
Yet Nafada would not want to take chances. Allowing any form of opposition that may culminate in the impeachment of the Speaker will also make his seat vulnerable, particularly with the recent return of Abdul Ningi to the House, which was well received by members from the North-East. Ningi was sworn in last Tuesday at the resumption of plenary. Both Nafada and Ningi are from the same North-East zone.
For now, the bid to oust Bankole appears conveniently checked and he is talking tough. Tuesday last week, he cautioned that bickering could derail the resolve of the House to fast-track the seven-point agenda of President Umar Yar’Adua. “We are taking on institutions in a manner in which we have never done; we are under no illusion as to the consequences of what we are doing. Get ready for more political shenanigans; get ready for more attacks; get ready for more attempts if we trade our rights. Let us ignore bickering; let us concentrate on the serious aspect of delivering power, transportation and all those aspects that have to do with the seven-point agenda. It is ether you are with me or not; it is either you are with the Federal Republic of Nigeria or not.” Like Bankole, Ubani also stated: “We do not want any distractions this time. This was the kind of situation that led to the exit of the former speaker (Mrs. Patricia Etteh). We lost a lot of time to that crisis; we don‘t want that kind of a thing to repeat itself.”
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