Water Bill: Lawmakers Debunk Alleged Move by Northern Lawmakers to Impeach Gbajabiamila

Udora Orizu

The House of Representatives has debunked report that northern lawmakers were planning to impeach the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila over the controversial Water Resources Bill.

An online news blog had reported that northern lawmakers who were bent on making sure the bill was passed have already asked the Clerk to the House to prepare an ‘addendum’ and plan to take their counterparts from the southern part of the country unawares, to ensure the bill successfully passes through second reading.

The controversial Executive Bill which was rejected in the 8th and 9th Assembly was again reintroduced for first reading on June 29, to the anger of some concerned lawmakers and stakeholders.

However, at plenary yesterday, a member, Hon. Sarki Adar raised a point of order on personal explanation notifying his colleagues of the rumored impeachment.

Reacting, the House Leader, Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa said the northern lawmakers never contemplated such thing, adding that the publication was malicious and not true.

Doguwa said, “It was only malicious, baseless, mischievously and unfounded. This House in every aspect of its ramifications had never had an instance where we contemplated impeaching our able Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

“The House of Representatives under the leadership of Gbajabiamila has been a very stable House, united and we are even out to join hands with the executive arm of government to see to the development of our dear nation, Nigeria.

“The issue of insecurity as raised by my very good friend, the leader of the opposition is one major problem that we must have acknowledged and must also give it to the fact that the government is not resting on its oars.

“Mr. President is doing the best he could, the Armed Forces are also joining forces with the government to make sure that this thing comes to an end and it is my commitment that this government will fight insecurity to its knees.”

Also, Chairman of the Committee on rules and business, Hon. Hassan Fulata explained that bills has procedure and the passage of any of them can’t be imposed on anyone.

He described the insinuation that the northern lawmakers instructed the clerk to bring it after southern members might have left the chamber as quite unfortunate, adding that the northern members were solidly behind Gbajabiamila.

On his part, the Minority Leader Hon Ndudi Elumelu described the publication as ridiculous, saying that the idea to impeach Gbajabiamila was dead on arrival.

Elumelu said the lawmakers were more worried about the insecurity bedeviling the nation.

He said, “I know my colleagues whether APC, PDP or any other party, it’s not what we are thinking about. It’s very unfortunate that people will want to sponsor that kind of stupid information. “Nigeria is under siege; presidential guards were attacked yesterday. Recently Kuje prison was evaded. Also the minister of education just asked the students to go back home.

“We don’t even know if here will be invaded, the insecurity in the country should our concern. Whoever is dreaming about the impeachment of the speaker it remains a dream, it’s dead on arrival.”

In his contribution, Chairman of the Committee on Water Resources and the Bill presenter, Hon. Sada Soli urged journalists to pick the water Act of United Kingdom, Korea, USA and other jurisdictions and compare it with the ones in Nigeria.

In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase who presided over the plenary session, while noting that the 9th House was united, referred the matter to the committee on ethics and privileges to look into it.

Also at the plenary, the lawmakers passed through second reading, “Bill for an Act to Amend the Pension Reform Act, No 4, 2014 to make Provisions for Establishment of the Federal Capital Territory Administration Staff Pension Bureau and the Federal Capital Territory Area Councils Staff Pension Bureau, for effective Pension Administration, Management and Service Delivery; and for Related Matters.” The proposed legislation was sponsored by Wase and Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata.