Senators Fume, Tackle Oshiomhole Over Alleged Offices’ Looting
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – The Senate on Tuesday recorded a stormy session as the lawmakers tackled Senator Adams Oshiomhole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Edo North Senatorial district over claims of looting property in offices at the end of the 9th National Assembly in June.
The development in the upper legislative chamber’s plenary followed a point of order raised by Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West), who knocked the former Edo State Governor over allegations against the 9th Senate, maintaining that; “We are respectable people and we believe we should live above board”.
Backed by Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central), who described Oshiomhole’s statement as ‘misleading and false’, Adeola insisted that his privilege had been breached and echoed the Senators’ demand that Comrade Oshiomhole should tender an apology for accusing the 9th Senate members of looting their offices.
Thereafter, the plenary became tempestuous as the Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, through a point of order, called for an executive session to discuss the “sensitive” matter. His intervention was rejected by the Senators call with a resounding nay when it was put to voice vote.
Similarly, Ndume’s second motion that the matter be referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions was also rejected by his colleagues.
And moving to calm already frayed nerves, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau explained that the items spoken of were not looted but removed legally in line with the tradition of the National Assembly, adding; “All items in senators’ offices depreciated to the tune of 25 percent every year and at the end of four years, the book value becomes zero. So, every senator is given the opportunity to purchase the items.
“When you accept to buy them, the money will be deducted from your severance gratuity and remitted to the consolidated revenue fund of the federal government. So, those items were removed legally and that is the tradition.”
Informing the plenary that Oshiomhole made the statement out of ignorance because he is new in the Senate, Barau disclosed that the management of the National Assembly was preparing to supply new items to the offices of lawmakers.
As tempers continued to flay, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, beckoned on Senator Oshiomhole to approach the Chair and after a brief consultation, announced that the lawmaker would be given an opportunity to address his colleagues on the matter.
Taking to the floor, Oshiomhols explained that the comments made during the Channels Television interview were meant to defend the collective integrity of the Senate and not indict the 9th Senate members of looting their offices, adding; “At no time did I say senators looted their offices. I only said offices were vandalised and that many senators had to use their personal money to purchase basic items for their offices. I was defending the erroneous impression out there that we appropriated N70 billion to ourselves.”
The former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, clearly seeking to placate his colleagues over the controversial remarks, said; “But for those who feel that my comment, meant to protect our collective image, was offensive, of course, I apologize. I cannot leave the comfort of my house to go and abuse the House of which I’m a member.”
The former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman had, during a Channels Television programme, ‘Politics Today’, on Sunday, alleged that despite the presence of security men in the parliament, television sets, carpets, and chairs were carted away in both senators and Reps members’ offices.
According to him; “I was shocked by the level of vandalisation of property of the National Assembly. Televisions were carted away, carpets were carted away, and senators’ chairs were carted away. I had to use my money and someone also decided to deliver to me a printer, to give me a laptop to use in my office.”
Against the backdrop of criticisms trailing the N70 billion allocation to the NASS to enhance the “working condition” of new members, the former Edo State Governor had said; “I had to buy the carpet and pay the cost of fixing it. I had to pay some young people to clean the office to restore the new carpet. I had to pay to repaint my office. I will produce you the receipt.”
Heading towards the expiration of the 9th National Assembly tenure, reports were awash in the media that offices of lawmakers were being emptied of pieces of furniture, equipment, and other working gadgets by the occupants and their aides, a development that had some 10th Senate incoming members fussing over offices allocated to them.
