The Senate on Tuesday deplored an advertorial by Kogi Government
that the upper chamber had no role in the ongoing recall process of
Sen. Dino Melaye.
This followed a Point of Order raised by the Deputy President of
the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, at plenary.
Mr. Ekweremadu, who based the observation on Order 43 of the
Senate Standing Rule, said his attention was drawn to a three-page
advertorial by Attorney-General of the state, Ibrahim Muhammed, in
a national daily.
He said that in the advertorial, Mr. Muhammed faulted his
(Deputy President of the Senate’s) statement on the role of the
Senate in the recall of a member.
According to him, the Attorney-General’s stand is a display of
his ignorance on the provisions of the Constitution on the recall
of legislators in the country.
Mr. Ekweremadu said that the advertorial was needless as it was
a waste of Kogi peoples’ funds.
“The Attorney-General was responding to my contribution on the
floor of the Senate when Sen. Dino Melaye informed the house of his
constituents’ effort to recall him.
“In my statement, I urged the constituents to apply their time
to more useful venture in view of the strenuous nature of recall of
a lawmaker in the country and I said the AG may not have advised
them properly.
“I understand that every page of the advertorial costs about
N700, 000 and I learnt five other papers carried it. We are looking
at about N12 million of Kogi Government funds.
“I would have ignored him but because of his statement in the
final paragraph of the advertorial, I felt it is necessary to
clarify issues,’’ he said.
Mr. Ekweremadu quoted Mr. Muhammed as saying that the Senate had
no role in the recall than to “receive the certificate from the
Chairman of INEC stating that the provisions of Section 69 of the
Constitution has been complied with’’.
“Indeed, by the provisions of INEC’s regulation for the recall
of a legislator, a legislator stands recalled upon INEC’s
confirmation of a majority vote in favour of the recall.’’
The deputy president of Senate said that the Constitution was clear
on the role of the Senate in the recall process.
“I would like to take him to Section 68(1H) and (2) to show the
role of the Senate, which he says has no role.
“Section 68(1H) reads, `the President of the Senate or, as the
case may be, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, receives
a certificate under the hand of the Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission, stating that the provisions of
section 69 of this Constitution have been complied with in respect
of the recall of that member.’
“That was the section the Attorney-General was referring to but
he mischievously refused to state the provisions of section 2 or
probably out of ignorance, he did not put Section 68(2).’’
He said that the section states that `The President of the Senate
or Speaker of House of Representatives, as the case may be, shall
give effect to the provisions of subsection (1) of this
section.
`So, however, that the President of the Senate or the Speaker of
the House of Representatives or a member shall first present
evidence satisfactory to the House concerned that any of the
provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of
that member.’
Mr. Ekweremadu said, “I don’t know how he came to the conclusion
that we don’t have a role. I stand by my position. I pity the
people of Kogi that hired this type Attorney-General.
“It is unfortunate that we are paying a public servant and he is
unable to do a simple work of looking at the Constitution.
“Let me emphasise that this section 68(2) is not part of the
amendment we made to the Constitution. This has been the original
provision of the Constitution, so we did not put it.
“It has nothing to do with Dino or whosoever. We inherited this
provision since 1999. It has been there.’’
The lawmaker expressed concern at the manner in which the
Attorney-General of the state allegedly misled the people of Kogi
on the recall process, adding that he ought to have consulted
properly to avoid embarrassment.
He called for an investigation into the source of money spent on
the advertorial and a refund to the state government purse for the
payment of workers’ salary.
“For the Attorney-General not to know about it I don’t know
where he went to law school, because if he has been properly
educated, he would have been conversant with the basic provisions
of the Constitution.
“I also don’t know his age at the bar but I believe I am his
senior at the bar and I expect him to show some respect to his
senior because that is what we were taught at the law school.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I also believe I have better
credentials than him in the legal profession. I was a teacher and
my interest was Constitutional Law. I also practised law.
“I have a doctorate degree in law and my interest is also
Constitutional Law.
“I have been the Chairman, Constitution Review Committee of this
National Assembly since 2010. So, if I am talking about the
Constitution, I know what I am talking about.
“So, I call on the Kogi House of Assembly to institute an
inquiry on who paid for this and find a way of getting the money
back to pay the salaries of the people of Kogi,’’ Ekweremadu
said.
In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, said
it was unfortunate that the Attorney-General, who should have
advised the people properly, was allegedly misleading them.
He also expressed concern over the amount of money that may have
been spent on the advertorial.
“The Deputy President of the Senate came under Order 43 and
according to our rules it cannot be further debated.
“But, I am concerned with the calibre of people holding very
senior positions in this country.
“Even those of us who only have association with the legal
profession by marriage have learnt over the years to know that this
is straight forward.
“What is even more disturbing and irresponsible is how you can
spend over N10 million on advertorial.
“This shows that it is government that is truly behind the
entire process, when it can go about and take an advertorial on an
issue like this.
“There is a need for people appointed or elected to positions to
show some level of responsibility,” he said.
He expressed disappointment with the position of Muhammed on the
matter, adding that “it is very unfortunate for the people of Kogi
State.”
(NAN)
The Senate on Tuesday deplored an advertorial by Kogi Government
that the upper chamber had no role in the ongoing recall process of
Sen. Dino Melaye.
This followed a Point of Order raised by the Deputy President of
the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, at plenary.
Mr. Ekweremadu, who based the observation on Order 43 of the
Senate Standing Rule, said his attention was drawn to a three-page
advertorial by Attorney-General of the state, Ibrahim Muhammed, in
a national daily.
He said that in the advertorial, Mr. Muhammed faulted his
(Deputy President of the Senate’s) statement on the role of the
Senate in the recall of a member.
According to him, the Attorney-General’s stand is a display of
his ignorance on the provisions of the Constitution on the recall
of legislators in the country.
Mr. Ekweremadu said that the advertorial was needless as it was
a waste of Kogi peoples’ funds.
“The Attorney-General was responding to my contribution on the
floor of the Senate when Sen. Dino Melaye informed the house of his
constituents’ effort to recall him.
“In my statement, I urged the constituents to apply their time
to more useful venture in view of the strenuous nature of recall of
a lawmaker in the country and I said the AG may not have advised
them properly.
“I understand that every page of the advertorial costs about
N700, 000 and I learnt five other papers carried it. We are looking
at about N12 million of Kogi Government funds.
“I would have ignored him but because of his statement in the
final paragraph of the advertorial, I felt it is necessary to
clarify issues,’’ he said.
Mr. Ekweremadu quoted Mr. Muhammed as saying that the Senate had
no role in the recall than to “receive the certificate from the
Chairman of INEC stating that the provisions of Section 69 of the
Constitution has been complied with’’.
“Indeed, by the provisions of INEC’s regulation for the recall
of a legislator, a legislator stands recalled upon INEC’s
confirmation of a majority vote in favour of the recall.’’
The deputy president of Senate said that the Constitution was clear
on the role of the Senate in the recall process.
“I would like to take him to Section 68(1H) and (2) to show the
role of the Senate, which he says has no role.
“Section 68(1H) reads, `the President of the Senate or, as the
case may be, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, receives
a certificate under the hand of the Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission, stating that the provisions of
section 69 of this Constitution have been complied with in respect
of the recall of that member.’
“That was the section the Attorney-General was referring to but
he mischievously refused to state the provisions of section 2 or
probably out of ignorance, he did not put Section 68(2).’’
He said that the section states that `The President of the Senate
or Speaker of House of Representatives, as the case may be, shall
give effect to the provisions of subsection (1) of this
section.
`So, however, that the President of the Senate or the Speaker of
the House of Representatives or a member shall first present
evidence satisfactory to the House concerned that any of the
provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of
that member.’
Mr. Ekweremadu said, “I don’t know how he came to the conclusion
that we don’t have a role. I stand by my position. I pity the
people of Kogi that hired this type Attorney-General.
“It is unfortunate that we are paying a public servant and he is
unable to do a simple work of looking at the Constitution.
“Let me emphasise that this section 68(2) is not part of the
amendment we made to the Constitution. This has been the original
provision of the Constitution, so we did not put it.
“It has nothing to do with Dino or whosoever. We inherited this
provision since 1999. It has been there.’’
The lawmaker expressed concern at the manner in which the
Attorney-General of the state allegedly misled the people of Kogi
on the recall process, adding that he ought to have consulted
properly to avoid embarrassment.
He called for an investigation into the source of money spent on
the advertorial and a refund to the state government purse for the
payment of workers’ salary.
“For the Attorney-General not to know about it I don’t know
where he went to law school, because if he has been properly
educated, he would have been conversant with the basic provisions
of the Constitution.
“I also don’t know his age at the bar but I believe I am his
senior at the bar and I expect him to show some respect to his
senior because that is what we were taught at the law school.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I also believe I have better
credentials than him in the legal profession. I was a teacher and
my interest was Constitutional Law. I also practised law.
“I have a doctorate degree in law and my interest is also
Constitutional Law.
“I have been the Chairman, Constitution Review Committee of this
National Assembly since 2010. So, if I am talking about the
Constitution, I know what I am talking about.
“So, I call on the Kogi House of Assembly to institute an
inquiry on who paid for this and find a way of getting the money
back to pay the salaries of the people of Kogi,’’ Ekweremadu
said.
In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, said
it was unfortunate that the Attorney-General, who should have
advised the people properly, was allegedly misleading them.
He also expressed concern over the amount of money that may have
been spent on the advertorial.
“The Deputy President of the Senate came under Order 43 and
according to our rules it cannot be further debated.
“But, I am concerned with the calibre of people holding very
senior positions in this country.
“Even those of us who only have association with the legal
profession by marriage have learnt over the years to know that this
is straight forward.
“What is even more disturbing and irresponsible is how you can
spend over N10 million on advertorial.
“This shows that it is government that is truly behind the
entire process, when it can go about and take an advertorial on an
issue like this.
“There is a need for people appointed or elected to positions to
show some level of responsibility,” he said.
He expressed disappointment with the position of Muhammed on the
matter, adding that “it is very unfortunate for the people of Kogi
State.”
(NAN)
Read more https://nairalaw.com/dino-melayes-recall-kogi-attorney-general-wrong-senate/