Posted by From JAMES OJO, Abuja on
Efforts made by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Dimeji Bankole to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, at the risk of his seat were yesterday thwarted as majority of members insisted that the process did not follow the due process.
Efforts made by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Dimeji Bankole to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, at the risk of his seat were yesterday thwarted as majority of members insisted that the process did not follow the due process.
The motion for the House to reverse itself on the Bill degenerated to a rowdy situation for almost ten minutes before orderliness was restored by the deputy whip, Hon Aminu Tambuwal.
Bankole had appealed to members to honour him by allowing the motion of the Rules and Business committee to go on, but the members protested in loud voice, leading to rowdiness.
'Dear colleagues, we are going for holiday today and I want us to go in peace. In the last eight years, we have exposed more corruption than any House without the FOIB in place. We have built capacity for members in the last six months. I plead on my honour that will pass the Bill and forget what the House committee on Rules may have done," he pleaded to no avail.
Members shouted freely against the move, decency was thrown to the wind as some of the members accused the chairman of the House committee on Rules and Business, for not carrying members along.
Leader of the opposition, Hon Ali Mohammed Ndume drew the attention of the Speaker to the fact that the Rule and Business committee was trying to smuggle the Bill to the Order paper adding that most members have no Order Paper.
Ndume pointed out that the committee has the responsibility of not committing members to rescind their decision. 'The true of the matter is that the marketers of the Bill are not helping the matter, he said.
Reading the mood of the House and in order not to heat the House, Bankole signaled to Hon Ita Enang to adjust the motion, but Enang said given the fact that it may not be proper for the Speaker to put his honour on line, he opted to step down the motion, which was accepted.
'In performing our duty, we should always observe even our rule and follow due process. Therefore, the Rules and Business committee chairman should stand down the Bill", he said.
The House later went ahead to pass into law the 2008 Budget amendment Bill by suspending the House rules.
Chairman of Appropriation Committee, Hon Ayo Adeseun read the bill for the second and third time before members voted in favour of authorizing the issuance of N2,647,492, 865, 643 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.