Posted by By Chris Ikwunze, Port Harcourt, JAMES OJO,GODWIN TSA and ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja on
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Review of the 1999 constitution, led by Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu, Thursday endorsed third term for elected office holders. This is coming at a time senators accused Senator Mantu of acting out a script written by the Presidency.
• Senators accuse him of acting Aso Rock's script
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Review of the 1999 constitution, led by Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu, Thursday endorsed third term for elected office holders. This is coming at a time senators accused Senator Mantu of acting out a script written by the Presidency.
Confirming the committee's endorsement of third term, in Port Harcourt Thursday, Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa, who represents Arochukwu Federal Constituency (Abia State) in the House of Representatives, said that the decision of the committee was based on majority views during the public hearing in the six geo-political zones.
Ohuabunwa, however, said that its adoption by the committee did not mean that it has automatically become part of the new constitution as it is still subject to ratification on the floor of both chambers of the National Assembly.
He said there was no motion or counter motion on the issue but it was adopted because majority of the memoranda submitted during the public hearing rooted for it.
On his part, Mantu said that the decision was not their view but that of Nigerians:
'What we are doing is to harmonize the popular opinions of the Nigerian public. So, whatever we do here should not been seen as Mantu's decision. We want a situation where every section of the country would have a sense of belonging, that's why we are adopting the majority view on every issue."
He said that so far, their assignment is progressing well and repeated his earlier call that the National Assembly should be left alone to do its job according to the rule of law, in a veiled reference to the Abuja High Court order.
However, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora (Lagos Central) warned that the controversial third term agenda is a booby trap that may consume the nation. He said that Nigerians may be kept under bondage by an unpopular President whose policies are anti-people as there would be no way to change him until he completes his 12-year tenure.
He said that many African countries have been consumed by armed conflict because their rulers made peaceful change impossible, warning that the lawmakers should not be inadvertently laying a booby trap.
'We should take the interest of the people first and not that of one man who occupies the position of authority", Mamora said.
Commenting on the activities of the Mantu committee, Senator Saidu Dansadau alleged that despite repeated assurances, Senator Mantu is acting out the script from the Presidency.
He alleged that the committee collected memoranda from at least three states at the Port Harcourt retreat apparently to ensure that they tally with what the "Villa" wanted. Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly Thursday, Senator Dansadau said "the entire exercise (in Port-Harcourt) was characterised by fraud. In Port Harcourt, three states were allowed to substitute their memos. Before we left for Port Harcourt, zonal chairmen were summoned to the Villa to brief it on the nature of the report. It ought not to be so. You can't release it to anybody unless it is submitted to the National Assembly and it then becomes a public property. For zonal chairmen to be summoned to the Villa is fraudulent.
"Whatever they do there, we are waiting for them in the chambers. It is not easy to repeat it in the National Assembly. There, it is closed door, but here (in NASS) it will be in the open. They gave money to selected people during the public hearing. So it is clear that Mantu is playing a script despite assuring us at the committee. But as it is, he's being dictated to from the Villa because I and others opposed disobeying court order. When we raised our hands in Port Harcourt to speak, he refused to recognise us," Dansadau added.
Also speaking in the same vein, Senator Kanti Bello, who, though denied knowledge of any money exchanging hands during the public hearing and challenged anyone with evidence to prove the allegation, told journalists that they had to walk out on Mantu when they learnt that the bailiff who had traveled to Port Harcourt to serve the committee with the court order was detained.
In a related development, Chief Tony Anenih, chairman, Board of Trustees of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), as part of efforts to get majority of members of the House of Representatives to support the third term agenda, met with selected members of the House.
Daily Sun gathered that the meeting, held at the Chelsea Hotel, Abuja was attended by about 185 members drawn from all the political parties and was addressed by the BOT chairman. A member of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and another member of PDP confirmed that the meeting, which was camouflagued as dinner, was used to woo members of the House to accept the third term agenda.
'I was not surprised that the dinner had Chief Anenih in attendance. We knew it all and that is the reason we attended so as to see things for ourselves. They already know that it would not be a tea party in the House. I think that's why they are doing everything to get us, but I can assure you that they would fail," the ANPP member said.
According to him, Anenih himself observed that the gathering was not auspicious enough to reel out strategies to capture the House to do the biddings of the third term promoters as he only threw the challenge to those present to go for more membership drive.
'Chief Anenih advised that we should go and get two more members each from our state to attend the next meeting that would be convened in the next few days. He promised that the time and venue would be communicated to us," he disclosed.
The PDP member, formerly of ANPP, also confirmed that the meeting held but denied that money was shared after the dinner.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, has promised to be an un-biased umpire when the report of the Joint Constitution Review Committee of the National Assembly is slated for debate, just as a member allayed fears that the House has been bought over by agents of third term agenda.
According to Hon Idris Nadabo from Katsina State, Speaker Masari gave the assurance when some members wanted to know from him the position of the House leadership on the third term issue.
Nadabo told Daily Sun at the lobby of the National Assembly Thursday, that the rumour that members of the National Assembly had been bought over was a ploy to discredit the House by agents of third term plot.
'We can't pretend that money is not involved in the third term campaign. The truth is that without money there is nothing like third term. One thing is sure; not everyone had been bought over. We are even waiting for them. We want them to bring the money. We want them to spread it so that we will have the proof to drag them to EFCC," Nadabo said.
Meanwhile, an Abuja High Court Judge, Justice Olasunbo Goodluck on Thursday, made a U-turn on the order she made stopping the National Assembly from taking further actions on any matter relating to the review of the 1999 constitution, saying she only advised parties in the suit to preserve the Res (subject matter) before her court, pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction.
Besides, the Federal Government has filed its notice of preliminary objections challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit as well as the locus standi of the plaintiffs to institute the case.
The court, in its ruling on March 6, 2006, directed counsel in the matter to advice parties on the need to preserve the res in the case since the matter is now subjudice. But before a crowded court room Thursday, the judge denied making an express order restraining the National Assembly from taking further actions on the subject matter before her court.
Her words; 'it seems the order I made last time was not a true reflection of the media reports. I want the order made to be played to the gentlemen of the court. (The tape was played as directed). I urged the media to always reflect the true position of the proceedings of the court."
The Certified True Copy (CTC) of her ruling on March 6, 2006 reads:
'Considering the urgency the plaintiff's motion on notice dated March 1, 2006 demands; I am of the view that the interest of justice dictates that the said motion be given expedited hearing in lieu of the plaintiffs' application for an order of interim injunction pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
'Noting that learned counsel for the 5th respondent has indicated his intention to file the 5th respondent's reaction to the processes already served in this suit by Wednesday March 8, 2006, this matter is by the consent of both counsel adjourned to Thursday March 9, 2006 for definite hearing of the motion on notice dated March 1, 2006.
'Both counsel are reminded that this suit is now subjudice, accordingly they are enjoined to advice parties herein on the need to preserve the res in this case. Hearing notice are to be issued and served on the 1st -4th respondents. Parallel steps should likewise be taken by learned counsel for the applicants to notify the 1st -4th respondents in writing on the next adjourned date. A copy of the letter shall be placed in the court's file."