It was a rowdy session at the Senate on Thursday following
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s description of President Muhammadu Buhari as
"incompetent" in handling of clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
Abaribe (Abia PDP) had used the word while reacting
to Buhari’s comments made in London last Wednesday when the president said the
killer herdsmen were not Nigerians but militias trained by the late Muammar
Gadaffi of Libya.
Abaribe, in a motion raised at plenary, queried why
Buhari as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces was incapable of protecting
Nigeria from foreign invasion.
He also wondered why the president, Inspector
General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, and the Minister of Defence, Brigadier
General Mansur Dan Ali (rtd), have propounded different reasons for the
recurring clashes.
Idris, Abaribe recalled, had blamed the clashes on
the anti-grazing laws passed by some of the affected states, while the minister
had said they were caused by the blockage of grazing routes.
“Yesterday (Wednesday) in London, the President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria said the killings are as a
result of the people who were trained by the late Muammar Gaddafi, and so
implying that these people doing these killings in Nigeria are from outside the
country.
"When a commander-in-chief cannot take care of
invaders invading Nigeria, why is he still a commander-in-chief? Why do we
continue to indulge this president (such) that everywhere he goes tells
everyone outside this country that he is totally incompetent? Because it is
obvious…,” Abaribe added.
At this point, his presentation was interrupted by
shouts of ‘point of order’ by several senators who raised their hands,
requesting permission from the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to register
their protest.
It took a few minutes for calm to be restored to
the chamber.
The Majority Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, who first
took the floor, expressed displeasure at Abaribe’s choice of words, which he
said disrespected the president.
"The President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria is the leader of this country, and he deserves the respect and courtesy
of this chamber, and those of us in it.
I was once a member of the opposition and I do not recall ever calling
the then president names, or insulting him. This is our institution. If we do
not conduct ourselves with respect, nobody will,” he said.
Lawan demanded that Abaribe should withdraw the
statement and apologise to the chamber.
Saraki, backing Lawan’s position, said offensive
words must not be used by senators.
“We can make our points without using words that
are offensive. Please be guided accordingly,” Saraki ruled.
Abaribe apologised to his colleagues, but said he
simply interpreted the words used by Buhari himself.
"I am very well guided by you, but there are
words that have no alternatives. What I did was to interpret the words by the president
in London. If any word I used is misunderstood by anyone, I apologise. What I
am saying is simple. The heads of security in Nigeria made several explanations
for the killings of our people. It shows that there is a disconnection,” he
said.
Meanwhile, yesterday, both chambers of the National
Assembly condemned the April 5, 2018, attacks on five banks in Offa, Kwara
State, which led to the losses of several lives.
The Senate expressed displeasure at the ease at which
the criminals executed the attacks with sophisticated weapons and made away
with substantial amount of money.
Senator Rafiu Irahim (Kwara APC), in a motion,
recalled that similar attacks have been recorded in other towns in the state,
with the latest incident being the fourth major one in ten years in the area.
“I am worried that if such attacks are allowed to
continue, it may lead to the closure of financial institutions in the town, and
this may cripple commercial activities in the town and its environs,” he said.
The Senate, in its resolutions, urged the federal government
to consider setting up a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Kwara South senatorial
district, and urged the IG to reinforce security in the area.
The House of Representatives, while condemning the
attacks, also commiserated with the victims over the loss of lives and material
resources.
This followed a motion of urgent national importance
moved by Hon. Olayonu Danladi (Kwara APC) who expressed concern how the
security system could be easily overwhelmed and personnel, gruesomely killed in
security facility.
Describing the development as an issue that calls
for serious concern, the lawmaker said citizens have right to security and life
as guaranteed in the constitution, stressing that this cannot be undermined.
Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yussuf Lasun, described the
incident as horrible, as he expressed worry at the disparity in population
growth and police manpower.
He also stressed the need to look at values and
mentality of Nigerians in moving forward.
Hon. Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) said the current security
situation is a total dysfunction and needed total overhaul, adding that the "Police
Force is ill-equipped.”
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