While you're catching your breath and preparing to read this piece, pause long enough to ask yourself one question: What is wrong with Nigeria?
After 54 years of experimenting with different forms of government, we finally settled for the American presidential system of government. Memories like fire, can both bless with warmth and burn with searing heat. As we look back over 54 years of independence, do our memories give us a bit of both sensations? Our nation's history speaks eloquently of the pain of waywardness, destruction of values and civilization and persistence of guiding Nigeria down to the path of destruction.
Have we learned a lesson in the process? Or repeating our errors and forfeiting our nationhood? But the pain is still acute, the damage severe, the recovery slow, and the scars difficult to remove. The gang of thieves, who serves as lawbreakers, quietly trade money and favors for mutual gain. The elected thugs and thieves flourish and thrive, but the Nigerian people lose.
“Come let's us wipe out Nigeria as a nation,” the Senator- rep-thieves seem to be saying. “We will destroy the very memory of its existence.” Yes, this was their unanimous decision. Saraki having bribed each senator millions that support his Machiavellian tactics, they signed a treaty as allies against Nigerians who voted for change on March 28.
What part of the presidential system does the Saraki and his gang don't understand? This is how it works in the US. Under the presidential system, the party that wins the most reps after election is designated “majority” in each house, and the other party is called the “minority.” The majority party holds the most significant leadership positions such as the Speaker of the House and the Senate President.
At the beginning of each Congress, the members of each party meet to select their leaders by majority vote. Democrats call their meeting a “Caucus” and the Republicans call theirs “Conference.” Next, when each house convenes in its first session, congressional leaders such as the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader in the Senate, are selected. Even though the whole house votes for its leaders, the majority party makes the real selections ahead of time behind the scenes when they select party leaders.
Following the American system the All Progressives Congress acted appropriately through mock election by selecting its leaders – Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker of the House and Ahmad Lawan as Senate President. Going strictly by the presidential system, Saraki and Yakubu Dogara would have no choice but to abide by the two candidates who won the mock election.
In a brazen daylight robbery led baron robber Saraki and executed by the fool Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, the Clerk of the House, Saraki and Dogara defectors from PDP were unilaterally elected Senate President and Speaker of the House respectively. What could be more disturbing and agonizing, Ike Ekweremadu of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was elected deputy Senate President.
Section 66(1a-i) the 1999 Constitution bars certain categories of Nigerians from being members of the National Assembly. The Constitution says a person shall be unworthy to make laws for the country if he has been indicted for embezzlement or fraud by a judicial commission of inquiry or an administrative panel of inquiry or a tribunal set up under the Tribunals of Inquiry Act, Tribunals of Inquiry Law or any other law by the federal or state government which indictment has been accepted by the federal or state governments respectively.
Members of secret societies, persons with forged certificates, and undischarged bankrupts are also disqualified from becoming lawmakers.
Because this is Nigeria, none of the 469 members is yet to be convicted based on the above provisions of the law, the laundry list of criminal charges steering them on the face is enough to disqualify them from the membership of the National Assembly.
Following is who is who directory of lawbreakers – thieves – as lawmakers in the 8th National Assembly of Restoration of Shame.
Bukola Saraki: According to Premium Times, “In an investigation that spanned many years and covered accounts held by the Senator and his companies in Zenith, GTB and Access Bank, police investigators say they found evidence of huge and consistent stealing of public funds by Mr. Saraki and his aides, especially when he served as governor of Kwara state.”
“The investigative report said in part, “The activities of Dr. Bukola Saraki, his Personal Assistant, Abdul Adama other personal staffs that helped him in laundering the monies in bits including the companies that helped transform the naira to foreign exchange thus making it possible for him in washing the cash overseas are in contravention of the provisions of the Money Laundering Act. They are recommended to be prosecuted for offenses relating to Money Laundering and for breaching the Forex (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Section 12(1), Section 29(2) a and b, Section 39(3)(4) Section 30(1)(a), (2)(b).”
“The Nigerian authorities have however failed to charge the Senator to court. In fact, rather than do this, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, wrote to the Inspector General directing him to stop further investigation of Mr. Saraki. Based on this directive, a Federal High Court, in May, ordered the police to stop further “harassment” of the Senator,” reports Premium Times.
Iorwase Hembe and Ifeanyi Azubuogu representing Vandekya/Konshisha Federal Constituency Benue State and Nnewi North/South Federal Constituency respectively were accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of demanding N39 million and N5million bribe discovered during the 2012 crisis of capital market.
Femi Gbajabiamila House Minority Leader accused of unethical practices was sanctioned against practicing law for 36 months by state of Georgia.
Theodore Orji ex-governor of Abia State accused of illegal withdrawal of N5.6 billion from GTB account of the state.
Gombe Senator Danjuma Goje and former governor was alleged of theft of N52 billion belonging to the state.
Senator Andy Uba from Anambra allegedly involved in $15 million bribe involving EFCC and James Ibori, former Delta State Governor.
Hope Uzodinma senator from Imo was accused of transferring funds from the accounts of the National Maritime Authority to Abdulsalami Abubakar former Head of State. Uzodinma was also forced by EFCC to make refunds of N250 million mobilization fees.
Kebbi State Senator Adamu Aliero who is also the ex-governor of Kebbi was accused of N10.2 million theft state money.
Abdulazeez Murtala Nyako, the Adamawa senator, allegedly transferred N15 billion state money to five companies owned by him.
Ali Ndume Senator from Borno State allegedly was linked to Boko Haram through phone logs that showed he had contacts with the terrorist group 73 times.
Senator Stella Oduah (remember her?) representing Anambra and former minister of aviation purchased two armored BMW cars for N255 million without approval.
Malcolm X warned that “It's impossible for a chicken to produce a duck egg – even though they both belong to the family of fowl. A chicken just doesn't have it within its system to produce a duck egg.” These senator-thieves are the wrong people to represent us and make laws for the country.
To be sure, the ultimate goal of Saraki and his partners in crime is to immobilize President Buhari from carrying out his war on corruption. How can thieves make laws that will put them in jail? How can Saraki as Senate President lead the fight on corruption or assist President Buhari in the war against the looters of our economy?
Section 3 (Part 1) 5th Schedule of the constitution is loud and clear on the case against the culprits. The so called immunity clause under which they seek protection from being prosecuted is not applicable in this case. Whoever becomes the Attorney General and Minister of Justice should as a matter of urgency, build a systematic and painstaking case against these National Assembly robbers. He must ensure these criminals are shipped to federal maximum prison for years where they rightly belong.
The calm that puts us to sleep may be more deadly than storm that keeps us awake at night. Saraki and his fellow traitors and band of thieves must be denied both the calm and the storm to either put us asleep or keep us awake at night. They are politically poisonous and deadly. We must not give them the chance to torment us a day longer than necessary.
They have to go!
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