A FEW things are becoming clearer about the fuel subsidy scandal that is rocking the House of Representatives – there are more scandals within the scandal, and the public must not know them.
The anger Gambo Dan Musa, Chairman of the House Ethics Committee vented when Mr. Femi Otedola, a central figure in the allegations refused to testify in secret is a sign the House wants to avoid embarrassment.
Why would a suggestion that the session be public draw bile from Mallam Dan Musa? If the House suggested an open hearing and Mr. Otedola refused, how would it have reacted?
"He has refused to answer all our questions, he has insulted us and, in addition to that, he was just laughing. It was very stupid of him and we are not happy too," Mallam Dan Musa told journalists after Mr. Otedola insisted on a public hearing of his allegations. What made him unhappy? Does his unhappiness justify calling another person "stupid"?
"We cannot have a committee of this nature, a standing committee, that is respected by the House and somebody comes and tells us that he is a businessman... and he is not hungry like ourselves," Mallam Dan also said. Even if Mr. Otedola addressed the committee in such manner privately, the chairman certainly fell into his trap by being abusive publicly, another reason the engagement should have been public.
According to Microsoft Encarta® 2009, "stupid" means – absurd, asinine, brainless, daft, dull, fatuous, foolish, futile, ill advised, imprudent, inane, injudicious, irresponsible, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, obtuse, rash, reckless, ridiculous, senseless, silly, thoughtless, unintelligent, unwise, witless.
Is there a reason for anyone to describe another, during official encounter, in this manner? Why would decorum be beyond our public officers? What level of frustration made Mallam Dan Musa to become abusive, handing Mr. Otedola an advantage?
Our pains remain that these are ploys to ensure abuses of the petroleum subsidy regime are never addressed. The report is taking a back seat as attention focuses on the bribery scandal. The tenor of the discussion suggests that the House, which is on trial as Mr. Otedola would determine how it sits on its own case.
The House of Representatives is not a place for fools, wherever they issue from and whatever their intentions. It is a House established to espouse our liberties. It cannot therefore engage in name calling because someone asked for the protection of his liberties.
If the committee sticks to its decision to sit in private, with Mr. Otedola, it would have finally lost its stand on an issue that began publicly and that is still supposedly for the benefit of the public.
Vanguard Nigeria
Why is that we all refuse to acknowledge that actions brings reaction , a man stands before elected peopple, whether good or bad but by law are elected leaders. You begin to laugh at them, these are adult, you told them you are not hungry like them,the questions is how many people can stomach that and will not react, a civilise person and educated like otedola,will receive a letter inviting him to the hearing, then he send a letter to clarify all areas such as whether open or close, if they insisted on close session ,you send a letter that you can not attend and ask your lawyer secretary or pr person to call a press conference and state your view. What we are not reading in this issue is a group of mafia that have no respect for this nation. Very soon they will do fot the president when they threatened him