2011 Post-Election Updates - Senate Shuts Out Freshmen From Plum Posts

[TGD]

With an eye on keeping some plum posts for current members in the next dispensation, the Senate yesterday tinkered with its Standing Rule, giving priority to ranking senators in the race for leadership positions in the Upper Chamber.

Senate President David Mark, who is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of yesterday's amendment, submitted that the step was taken in order to stabilise democracy in the country.

In another raging battle to share offices in the next lower chamber of the National Assembly, members of the House of Representatives yesterday truncated moves by some of their colleagues to reverse their decision to elect incoming presiding officers through open-secret balloting.

The House had on Tuesday amended Order 2 (3) (f) and (i) of its standing rule to change its voting pattern from electronic to open-secret voting.

And, as various geo-political zones in the country continue to haggle over the distribution of juicy federal positions in the incoming administration, founder and president, Oodua People's Congress (OPC), Frederick Fasehun, has warned the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against stripping the South-West of the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Fasehun said zoning the office away from the South-West in the next dispensation when all other zones retained their current slots would mean that the PDP and the Presidency had used and dumped the Yoruba people, warning that they could pay a steep price for the "double-cross" in future.

The Senate tinkered with its standing rule yesterday by considering the controversial item titled: "Amendment to Senate Standing Orders 2007"which appeared on the Notice Paper of the chamber last week. Many public analysts have described the move to amend the rule as self-serving.

One of amendments effected yesterday was on Section 97 (1) (f) of the Senate Standing Rules which states that "nomination of senators to serve as principal officers and chairmen of committees or any parliamentary delegations shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators in which member(s) previously elected into the Senate are granted precedence."

In a motion sponsored by Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, the ranking process was explained thus: "Presiding and other officers: (a) nomination of senators to serve as presiding officers and appointments of principal officers and other officers of the Senate or any parliamentary delegations shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators. (b) In determining ranking, the following order shall apply:

(i) senators returning based on number of times re-elected

(ii) senators who had been members of the House of Representatives

(iii) senators who had been members of a state House of Assembly or any other legislative house (iv) senators elected as senators for the first time."

The new amendment was moved to Rule 3 (2) from 97 (1) (f).

The chamber has also approved the amendment to Rule III to the effect that any unfinished legislative business at the end of a session shall be continued by the succeeding Senate.

The new clause titled: "Business continued from session to session" reads: "The legislative business of the Senate which remains undetermined at the close of a session of the Senate shall be resumed and proceeded with in the same manner as if no adjournment of the Senate had taken place; and all papers referred to committees and not reported upon at the close of session of the Senate shall be returned to the office of the Clerk of the Senate and retained until the next session of the Senate when they shall be returned to the several committees to which they had previously been referred."

Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enang, re-introduced the matter at the start of yesterday's session by saying the introduction of the open-secret voting was not in compliance with the rules of the House.

Ita-Enang said amendment of any aspect of the House Rule required that a proper motion must be brought to the House and that the House must be put on notice for at least a period of seven days.

According to him, the motion sponsored by Cyril Maduabum for the amendment of the rule to change the voting pattern did not put the House on notice as required by section 15(6) of the House Standing Rule.

This immediately threw the House into rowdiness as many lawmakers shouted "No, No, No!"

Terngu Tsegba (PDP, Benue State) accused Ita-Enang of playing double standard game, pointing out that it was Ita Enang who moved a motion that Section 15 (6) of the rule be suspended to allow for immediate amendment of the rule on Tuesday.

Speaker Dimeji Bankole, who found it difficult to restore order, simply asked Ita-Enang to respond to Tsegba's allegation.

Ita-Enang flatly denied the allegation, challenging his colleagues to produce evidence.

As the argument ensued, Bankole declared that the amendment had become a subject of controversy and needed further consideration.

This attracted anger from other lawmakers who threatened to suspend Ita-Enang.

Bankole immediately announced that he had decided to approve Tuesday's votes and proceedings, which contained the open-secret voting amendment to douse the tension.

Fasehun, in a statement yesterday, argued that taking the Speakership post away from the South-West would also violate the Federal Character principle as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.

The OPC leader wrote: "If the Senate maintains status quo and the Senate President remains within the North-Central and the Deputy Senate President is retained in the East, then why should the South-West lose the Speaker?

"Maybe we should remind the nation too that the President legitimately comes from the South-South and the Vice President comes from the North-West.

"The exit of Honourable Oladimeji Bankole after May 29 leaves the South-West with virtually no share in government. We hope the powers-that-be will consider that the South-West Zone is too big and too politically important to be left out in the current scheme of things. The Federal Government should not allow the Yoruba people to think that they are being marginalised and pushed out of the Federal Government."

According to Dr. Fasehun, allocated positions had always remained within their benefiting zones even when personalities occupying such posts changed.

This, he said, was evidenced in the past when the South-East enjoyed an unbroken monopoly of the position of Senate President through Chiefs Evan Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo, Anyim Pius Anyim and Ken Nnamani, while Honourable Ghali Na'abba and Aminu Bello Masari from the North-West replaced Alhaji Salisu Buhari from the North-West for the position of Speaker.

He stressed: "Against such precedent, a Yoruba man should naturally replace Dimeji Bankole, a Yoruba man, as Speaker for the House of Representatives.

"And any zones planning to contest the Speaker's seat with the South-West should better be futuristic and proactive in their ambition because they might need Yoruba backing for something really big down the line."

Leading the debate on the amendment, Folarin said it would remove any ambiguity that hitherto existed while the nation's democracy would fare better because experience would make the Legislature more robust.

Senator Ayo Arise from Ekiti State, while arguing that the new provisions should be incorporated into the Constitution, said it would be difficult for a new lawmaker to preside over the Senate.   He observed that even after four years in the Legislature, some members would not be able to move a motion.

Senator Bariye Amange from Bayelsa State said the new rules would enhance quick passage of bills and motions.

Senator Anyim Ude from Ebonyi State said there was nothing wrong with the action of the Senate because "we amended the constitution; we amended the Electoral Act, so we are in order."

Defending the position of the Senate, Senator Abubakar Sodangi from Nasarawa State said: "Even among chickens, there is ranking, so ranking should be total."

Senator Ibrahim Ida from Katsina State said experience is the best teacher "and you can not buy it. That is why in the last four years, there was no scandal and no banana peels.''

While supporting the motion, Deputy Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba decried the attitude of some Nigerians towards the Senate, especially on the motion, saying: "There are as many patriotic Nigerians in the Senate as you have outside the chamber.''

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, justified ranking system, saying: "In Igboland, there is ranking and that is why the heart of any animal killed goes to the men and the gizzard goes to the oldest and in the legal profession to which I belong, there is ranking."

The question was put and the chamber passed the amendment without any dissenting voice.

Speaking after the voice-vote was taken, Mark expressed concern over the controversy that had trailed the motion and explained that the provision existed in the Standing Rules of the Senate prior to now.

He said: "The reason I allowed senators to make a lot of comments on the motion is because of the unnecessary controversy outside. Those criticising it just wants to generate controversy. It is not new. We are not introducing any new thing. All we try to do is to bring it forward. The idea is to strengthen democracy.

"A lot of people spoke out of ignorance. We are all Nigerians and are as patriotic as they are. It has nothing to do with David Mark. It has to do with the institution. It exists all over the world."

Source: Senate shuts out freshmen from plum posts