MACE THEFT: Nigeria’s Democracy Threatened!

 

• Omo-Agege Reacts, Denies Involvement
• FG Orders Immediate Probe, Security Reinforcement
• Saraki Commends Colleagues, House Members for Defending Democracy
• A Great Danger to the Survival of Democracy, Says Atiku
• It is Disgraceful, Threat to National Security – Balarabe Musa
• Take Necessary Action, APC Told Security Agencies
• A Bold Attempt to Truncate Nigeria’s Democracy – PDP
• Omo Agege’s Action, a Criminal Offence, Must Be Prosecuted- Ozekhome
• Police Recovers Senate Mace within 24hrs

 

By Abdul Rahman Aliagan

 

It is no longer news that anything is possible in Nigeria, amidst economic crisis harshly confronting Nigerians, even, as the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS admitted that nation’s economy had exited recession, still, Nigerians are yet to come into term with the reality of the data released by the nation’s Data House. Nigerian economy is not yet Huru!

 

As Nigerians were preoccupied with their daily economic activities for ends meet, so the Nigerian Senate do on legislative matters right at the National Assembly Complex of the three Arms Zone, Abuja. But, Wednesday, 18th of April, 2018 was characterised with a very strange political development that is a pointer and threat to Nigeria’s civil rule.

 

In some developed nations, Africans are regarded as the worst abusers of democracy; the incident at the Nigeria’s Hallowed Chamber, no doubt, has again gave credence to that fact.

 

Like a dramatic play, a group of armed hoodlums led by the suspended Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, Delta Central senatorial district stormed the Upper Legislative Chamber of the National Assembly during its Wednesday, April 18, plenary session and carted away the mace, the symbol of authority and power of the legislatives. The Senate business was on for about 21 minutes when the thugs gained access into the venue, beat all the security formations and took away the mace, inspite of the acclaimed water-tight security presence at the National Assembly Complex.

 

From the plenary entrance door, where the hoodlums accompanied the embattled Senator into Plenary, the hoodlums without fear snatched the symbol of authority of the Red Chamber and the plenary was no doubt, disrupted.

At about 15 minutes after the pandemonium gripped the hallowed chamber of the National Assembly, Nigerian Senate went back on session without further delay as another mace was mounted to give power and authority to legislative business.

 

According to a statement signed and issued by Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs.

 

The statement said: “The Senate has resumed plenary about 15 minutes ago after coming out of an executive (closed door) session where the earlier incident of forceful removal of the mace was deliberated upon.

 

“The session is holding with the mace, the official symbol of authority firmly in place, and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, presiding.

 

“The Senate also decided that it will get to the roots of this sad assault on democracy and an obvious act of treason which the seizure of the mace by some armed hodlums represents. The hoodlums severely attacked some members of staff of the National Assembly, particularly the Sergeant-at-Arms on Chamber duties.”

The statement reads further: “The Senate has mandated the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Kpotum Ibrahim and Director General of the State Security Services (SSS), Mallam Lawan Daura, to retrieve the mace stolen by the hoodlums within 24 hours.

 

“At the moment, some House of Representatives members led by Deputy Speaker. Hon. Yusuf Lasun, are in the Senate chambers in solidarity visits. The session is presently live on NTA Channel 10.

 

“We are determined to conclude all matters slated on the Order Paper for today, even if it means us sitting until 6pm”, says Ekweremadu”.

 

Omo-Agege Reacts, Denies Involvement

In his reaction to the ugly event, the Senator representing Delta Central district in the National Assembly, Ovie Omo-Agege, denied involvement in the invasion of the Senate Chambers by suspected hoodlums.

 

In a statement signed by his lawyer, Lucky Ajokperniovo, said that he only went to the Red Chamber on Wednesday, April 18 to resume work and sit for plenary, adding that he was only invited by the police to speak on his perspective and has been released.

 

The statement reads: “We are aware of several media reports suggesting that Senator Omo-Agege personally removed or encouraged anyone to remove the Mace of the Senate. This weighty allegation is not true at all.

 

“Following the said media reports on the Mace issue, the Police authorities decided to hear from Senator Omo-Agege. He has told the Police his perspective to help them carry out a proper investigation. He has since left the Police. Senator Omo-Agege trusts them to thoroughly investigate this very serious matter.”

 

Omo-Agege also reacted to the statement by the Senate Spokesperson, Senator Abdullahi Sabi accusing him of leading the hoodlums to cart away the mace.

 

“Without any investigation, Senator Sabi wilfully, deliberately and unfairly made very serious allegations against Senator Omo-Agege on the Mace incident.

 

“We are carefully studying Senator Sabi’s allegations to ascertain their full ramifications. Appropriate responses will follow, as may be necessary,” he said.

 

 FG Orders Immediate Probe, Security Reinforcement

The Federal Government has ordered an investigation into the invasion of the National Assembly and theft of the mace from the Senate.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, said in a statement that the Federal Government was shocked by the incident and has ordered a probe.

The security agencies are “to immediately unravel the circumstances surrounding the breach of security that led to the invasion”, the statement signed by a Special Adviser to the minister, Mr Segun Adeyemi, read in part. In addition to that, the statement said security would also be reinforced to prevent a recurrence.

 

Saraki Commends Colleagues, House Members for Defending Democracy

The President of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki who is currently attending the spring meeting of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund IMF in Washington DC, commended his colleagues for standing in defence of democracy and the rule of law by resisting the invasion of the Senate chamber by hoodlums suspected to be working for suspended senator, Ovie Omo-Agege.

 

Saraki in a statement by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, praised his colleagues for their decision to defy the incident to continue with the order of the day.

 

The Senate President lauded the swift reaction by the leadership and members of the House of Representatives in demonstrating their solidarity.

 

He added that this will send a strong signal “that enemies of democracy and those who want to undermine the legislature will be resisted by all parliamentarians.”

 

“I have just been informed that some hoodlums invaded the Senate chambers, forcefully taken away the mace and assaulted some of our Sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties. I am delighted that the Senate stood up to them by disregarding their unreasonable and shameful action and went on with the day’s proceedings as slated in the Order Paper.

 

“My commendation goes to my deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, other members of the leadership, my colleagues, the leadership and members of the House of Representatives for standing in defence of democracy, parliamentary sanctity and constitutionalism.

 

“With the way the Senate has defied those seeking to undermine it, we have sent out a strong signal that we are always ready to defend our constitutional mandate and nothing will deter us from this.

 

“I associate myself with the comments of the Deputy Senate President that we are ready to get to the roots of this assault on democracy and ensure that those who are responsible, no matter how remote, will be brought to justice,” Mr Saraki was quoted as saying in the statement. The statement concluded.

 

A Great Danger to the Survival of Democracy, Says Atiku

Joined numerous Nigerians to condemn the dastard act coming from a suspended member of the hallowed chamber, the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar said: ‘Attack on the Senate is a dangerous precedent, I am utterly embarrassed, shocked and outraged by this ugly development because it is not only a threat to a major democratic institution but also represent a great danger to the survival of our democracy.

 

It is Disgraceful, Threat to National Security – Balarabe Musa

A former governor of old Kaduna State, Barabe Musa also described Wednesday’s snatching of the mace in the Senate by suspected hoodlums as disgraceful. Mr Musa told the Newsmen that the incident was dangerous, not only for democracy, but for security.

Mr Musa said he would not be quick to blame anyone personality for the incident, but the saga questioned the morality of some of the country’s leaders.

He described the tension created by political and security issues in the land as a time bomb. Mr Musa said the effort of everyone was required to respond to the situation.

 

Take Necessary Action, APC Told Security Agencies

Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reacted to the theft of the Senate mace by thugs on Wednesday morning.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi said: “The APC hereby condemns this action and views it as an attack on our democracy and a desecration of the hallowed institution of the National Assembly,”

“We therefore call on security agencies to take all necessary actions to recover the stolen mace and ensure that the perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to justice.”

 

A Bold Attempt to Truncate Nigeria’s Democracy – PDP

Reacting to the mace theft saga, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also condemned the invasion of the National Assembly and the seizure of the Senate mace, in a press release issued by the spokesperson of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan described the seizure of the mace as a “direct assault on the legislature and bold attempt to truncate Nigeria’s democracy.”

 

He said, “We note that this offensive has been emboldened by series of interferences and direct attacks by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Buhari Presidency on the institution of the National Assembly, particularly the Senate.

 

“The APC has foisted on our nation an irredeemable autocracy, which has in three years of governance, gone beyond limits to force Nigerians to accept a government that has no respect for freedom and the ideals of democracy, particularly the constitutional separation of powers.

 

“Is it not strange that a legislative day appointed to further deliberate on the re-ordering of sequence of election will be the day that strange elements would invade the National Assembly, particularly, the hallowed chambers of the Senate, to disrupt legislative proceeding and seize the mace?

 

The statement further reads: “Equally strange is the compromising of security in the National Assembly paving the way for the invasion.

 

“The parliament, all over the world, is the bastion of democracy, without which government becomes autocratic and totalitarian.

 

“We urge Nigerians to pause and reflect on the series of assaults on our legislature under the current dispensation; the persecution and harassment of the leaders and members of the Senate on trumped-up charges, including declaring a serving senator wanted by the Police.

 

“We therefore charge the National Assembly to bring forth every legislative instrument to protect itself from external aggressions as well as unravelling every persons, offices and institutions that played any form of roles in this wild attempt to scuttle our hard earned democracy.” It stated.

 

Omo Agege’s Action, a Criminal Offence, Must Be Prosecuted- Ozekhome

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN and Human Rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome has lend his voice to condemned the invasion of the Senate by hoodlums who carted away the mace, describing it as a slap on democracy in Nigeria.

The lawyers equally called for immediate prosecution of the Senator representing Delta Central, Ovie Omo Agege, who allegedly led the thugs into the upper legislative chamber during plenary, saying his action amounted to a criminal offence.

 

Ozekhome alleged the connivance of the Executive arm of government in the attack, insisting that it was impossible for such number of hoodlums to besiege the National Assembly and made away with the mace without any intervention from security forces.

 

He said: “What happened in the Senate today is the civilian equivalent of a military coup that has put democracy literally in abeyance. “It is a sad day for democracy; it is a sad day for Nigeria, and a sad day for the tripartite doctrine of separation of powers and for the Senate.

 

“The legislature must be guided and protected carefully because these are the sole representatives of the people from the various constituencies and it is said that the voice of the people is the voice of God.

 

“For a Senator, no matter the anger and indignation, to have led thugs physically to the hallowed and serene chamber of the Senate to disrupt the sitting and allow his thugs to carry away the mace of the Senate is the greatest form of hooliganism and adult delinquency that one can imagine.

 

“The irony is that this Senator Omo-Agege is himself a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges. He was one of those who suspended Senator Ali Ndume for 180 days. What goes around comes around. He himself has been visited by the same 180 days suspension over which he has gone to court, but rather than allow the judicial process to run its full course, he has decided to link up with the Executive to radically invade the National Assembly.

 

Police Recovers Senate Mace

Barely 24hrs after the incident, The Nigerian Police have recovered the Senate mace that was stolen by suspected thugs. According to Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Aremu Adeniran, revealed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

 

The National Assembly had also ordered the authorities of the police and the Department of State Service (DSS) to recover the mace.

 

In line with the directive, Mr Adeniran disclosed in the statement today (Thursday) that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, immediately instituted a high-powered Police Investigation and Intelligence Team coordinated by the IGP Monitoring Unit of the force into the incident.

 

The police boss also directed a total lock-down of the Federal Capital Territory, with intense surveillance patrol and thorough stop and search operations at various police check-points with a view to arresting the perpetrators and possible recovery of the stolen mace.

 

“The police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints, stop and search operations, visibility and confidence-building patrols, intelligence gathering which forced the suspected miscreants to abandon the mace at a point under the flyover before the City Gate, where a patriotic passer-by saw it and alerted the police,” the statement read.

 

“This is because, without the connivance of the Executive, there is no way Senator Omo-Agege who is campaigning for Buhari, will have the temerity and audacity to invade the Senate and have the Mace taken away.

 

The Deputy Force Public Relations Officer noted that a discreet investigation into the incident is still ongoing to arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice.

 

He also said the police appreciate the members of the public, most especially motorists within Abuja Metropolis for their support, cooperation and timely information during the rigorous stop and search operations that led to the recovery of the mace.

 

Adeniran stated that the renewed commitment of the police to protecting the lives and property, peace and stability, as well as sustaining democracy in the country remains unequivocal and unwavering.

 

With the unfortunate act coming from a suspended member of the Senator, Nigerians have voiced out their fears, saying that the development is dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy, more importantly as the 2019 general elections is at the corner.