ABUJA – Senate of the Federal Republic has summoned the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to explain his allegation of forged document in the red chamber.
The Attorney-General was alleged to have planned arraigning Senate President Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, on charges of forging the Senate Standing Order 2015.
The senators therefore mandated the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Legal Matters and Human Rights, “to within two days, summon the Attorney General of the Federation to explain and justify with evidence, the basis for his action and why it does not constitute gross misconduct, incompetence, contempt of court and abuse of office”.
They also declared that the Senate Rule 2015 upon which, the leadership was elected on June 9, 2015, “is not forged and it is the authentic rule of the Senate”.
Presiding Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu who did not intend “to say much” because he is “involved”, sounded thus: “I just want to add that those who use their public office today to persecute others must realize that no condition is permanent”.
Coming under order 14 and 52 of the Senate Rule, Sen. Dino Melaye (Kogi West), had earlier raised “a motion on the imminent threat to our democracy as it relates to the alleged invitation of our principal officers by the court in Abuja”.
In the motion, Sen. Melaye “observed the ongoing systematic degradation and abuse of the office of the leadership of the national assembly by the executive arm of government through intimidation and harassment.
Regrettably the executive arm of government has presently constituted, and is still to come to terms with the constitutional tenets of separation of powers and the independence of the legislative arm of government.
Notwithstanding the maturity and nationalistic commitment of the national assembly to ensure the survival of our democracy and the enthronement of order and national development through bipartisan initiatives and support for the executive, there remains a grand design not only to distract the National Assembly but to also intimidate it into silence and enthrone a one-man rule.
There is lack of respect for judicial decisions and the resolutions of the National Assembly by the executive which is beginning to arrogate to itself, unify powers of the federation.
The current attempt to arraign the leadership of the senate over an internal matter of the senate and claims spuriously a forgery that does not exist is a smokescreen for an impending attempt to overthrow the legislative arm.
The judiciary had through several rulings in a recent case suit no AFC/ABJ/CS/646/2015 on the same issue warn the executive arm from trending on the path of criminalising or interfering in the running of the internal affairs of the senate.
The grave implications of this emerging trends poses to the security continued existence, unity and survival of our dear country.
The legislature is empowered subject to provisions of the constitution to regulate its own procedures as explicitly stated in section 60 of the Nigerian constitution which have all sworn to uphold.
Mr president, my colleagues, the senate is disturbed that instead of applying itself to the myriads of problems confronting the nation including the escalating cost of living, upsurge environment extremism, worsening insecurity, rising ethnic divisions, skyrocketing unemployment, declining national productivity and a nosediving economy into recession, the executive continued to be hellbent on chasing rats while the federation burns.
Mr president, my colleagues disturbed by all these problems, what is paramount concern of the executive is to neutralize the independence of the parliament and create effigies of fear to shut down the demands for accountability by whipping up sentiments trying to create crimes where non exist and divert attention.
This very noble and organised Senate observed that this present state of affairs represent the greatest threat to our corporate existence and the greatest rape of our constitution the basis upon which we exercise power.
This senate notes with regrets the deviant act of the attorney general of the federation and his office of contentiously disregarding the binding decision of the federal high court without a pending appeal by the police and the attorney general on the same matter in which the federal high court had decided to file charges against the leadership of the national assembly is a gross violation of the attorney general official calling and attempt to overthrow the legislative arm of government and force autocracy on our body quality.
I want to bring to the memory of this senate and remind the executive arm of government that anything that is fake must have original.
We therefore begin to ask ourselves where is the original of this counterfeit as suggested by this illegal persecution because what is being done is not prosecution but persecution.
I want to remind the executive again that we all served in this chamber on the 9th of June, 2015. Two days before our resumption I can speak for myself we were invited to come to the national assembly for documentation and when I came for my documentation I was given a copy of the constitution and the rules of the senate.
This two documents were given to me clear 48hrs before my inauguration as a senator. This documents are the same documents we have used in this senate to receive the budget of Mr President, if the rule is fake then the budget we have received is also fake and illegal.
I want to also remind the executive that this same rule is what we quoted when we responded to a communication from Mr President to have a joint session with the president of South Africa.
This same rule is what we used in the screening of all the ministers of the federal republic of Nigeria including the attorney general of the federation.
This same rule if it is fake, the position of attorney general as the minister of justice is also illegal. I also want to say mr president this same rule is what we used in the screening of service chiefs on the floor of this chamber.
This same rule is what we used in the screening of the FIRS chairman, this same rule is what we used in screening the executive vice chairman of NCC, this same rule is what we used in screening the INEC chairman, this same rule is what we used in screening the MD of AMCON, this same rule is what we used in screening the 2016 appropriation Act by Mr president, this same rule is what we used in passing that same budget that is now an Act of this parliament.
If this rule put together we have considered it in receiving Mr president on two different occasions and the Mr president responded accordingly.
Can this fake rule will give birth to illegality of all we have done with it but I want to say we have no fake rule and I want to say that without fear of favour that what we used on the 9th of June, 2015 was regularise on the 10th, June 2016 by the hazard of the 10th that was adopted as votes and proceedings voted without any objection and that rule was adopted on the 10th of June by the resolution of this senate in approving the votes and proceedings of this on the 9th of June, 2016.
This is to correct the very parochial and myopic and porous perception of those who want to divide this senate.
This senate will remain committed to the ideals of democracy, this senate without fear of favour will continue to do only those things that will promote unity prosperity of this country and we should not be cowed.
May we never see that day when the legislature will become an appendage or department of the executive”, Sen Melaye submitted.
