Senate
Majority Leader, Sen. Ali Ndume, has cautioned senators against embarrassing
publications on senate matters on the pages of newspapers.
Ndume said this when he raised a Point of
Order at the Senate plenary in Abuja on Thursday.
He expressed displeasure at a newspaper
report alleging that 22 senators from the North were against the administration
of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ndume argued that it was not proper for
members to directly or indirectly portray the Senate in bad light.
According to him, such an act will go a long
way to undermine the senators and the legislature.
Ndume urged all senators to bury their
hatchets, stressing that everyone in the chamber was qualified to be the
president of the senate or the deputy.
He, however, pointed out that only one person
could occupy any of the positions at a particular time.
“The nation is watching and this drama cannot
continue like that. Only one person can be the senate president and only one
person can be the deputy senate president at a particular time.
“I personally still want to be senate
president; I contested with the deputy senate president, I did not contest to
lose that election but it is God that gives power to whoever he wants.
“Whatever happened on that day, my friend
became the deputy senate president.
“I was the only person that attempted to impeach Sen. Ike Ekweremadu in the 7th Senate. I collected signatures and I attempted to impeach him,” he said.
“I was the only person that attempted to impeach Sen. Ike Ekweremadu in the 7th Senate. I collected signatures and I attempted to impeach him,” he said.
Ndume said that the Deputy President of the
Senate still remained his friend, noting that if 76 serving senators decided
that he (Ndume) was unfit to be the senate president, he would have to leave
the position.
Although, the President of the Senate Bukola
Saraki ruled Ndume out of order, he referred the matter to the Committee on
Ethics and Privileges to report back in one week.
Meanwhile, Sen. Thompson Sekibo, (PDP-Rivers
East), also raised a point of order, arguing that the Chief of Defence Staff
should not be made to appear for screening before the Senate.
He said that the constitution provided that
the president might after consultation with the Chief of Defence Staff and
subject to the approval of the Senate, appoint the Chiefs of Air, Army and
Naval staff.
However, the president of the senate ruled
him out of order, adding that the proposed screening of Service Chiefs would
proceed as scheduled.
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