Posted by By JAMES OJO, Abuja on
Against the backdrop of the condemnation of the award of N628 million contracts to renovate the official quarters of the presiding officers of the House of Representatives and the findings of the panel that probed the controversial contracts, Senate President, David Mark on Wednesday appealed for caution in passing judgment on the matter.
Against the backdrop of the condemnation of the award of N628 million contracts to renovate the official quarters of the presiding officers of the House of Representatives and the findings of the panel that probed the controversial contracts, Senate President, David Mark on Wednesday appealed for caution in passing judgment on the matter.
Fielding questions from journalists at a forum organized by the management of Newsworld Magazine at its corporate headquarters in Abuja, Mark said that there was need for caution because the House was already on the right track to resolve the contract issue.
'My opinion on what is happening in the House of Representatives is simple. I believe in justice, equity and fairness, that is why we should not pass judgment until the House concludes the process of investigation," he noted.
According to him, the House took the right step by raising a panel to investigate the award of contracts, noting that the best thing to do was to wait for the final decision by members on the matter.
'Today, it is Etteh, who knows, tomorrow it could be anybody. Nobody should pass judgment now. We should allow justice to take its course. This is how democracy could work in our country," the Senate president advised.
As the chairman of the National Assembly, Mark reiterated the need for a stable legislature so that the representatives of the people could carry out the duties of fashioning out laws that would bring improvement to the lives of the people.
'An unstable National Assembly is not good for the nation. It is high time we put aside any issues capable of diverting the attention of the legislatures from the duty assigned to us. We must impact on the lives of the people," he said.
For instance, he said passing the Freedom of Information Bill demands thoroughness and time consuming, adding that the bill must be passed to support the war on corruption.
On the proverbial banana peels, Mark disagreed that it exists, saying that the task before the Senate was more serious than for anybody to plot the fall of the leadership of the Senate.
He said that the present administration was committed to the war against graft, alleging that the supposed rift between the Attorney General of the Federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was a media creation.
Mark warned against anybody standing on the path of the EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu on the crusade against corruption, noting that the rule of law does not support corrupt practices in any guise.
'There is a need to encourage the rule of law, likewise, we must not encourage corruption. What the president is saying is that in fighting corruption, we must obey the rule of law. Nobody can stop EFCC from operation.
'To me, there is no conflict, EFCC has a duty to perform, the Attorney-General has a duty to perform, nobody should have undue advantage of the situation.
'As at today, any Nigerian who want to go against Ribadu is not gauging the mood of the public. The person must be swimming against the tide. Ribadu must be allowed to do his work," Mark said.