The Senate yesterday resolved to investigate all cases of human rights abuses allegedly committed by the police, Nigerian Army and other security agencies purportedly inspired by the executive arm of government.
\nIt also set out to summon the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, for explanation.
\nThe red chamber said it would identify the culprits, victims and offer redress where necessary.
\nThese scheduled positions were listed on the order paper for sponsorship by Senator David Umaru entitled, \u201cAlarming rise in cases of alleged human rights violations and consistent assault on the provisions of the 1999 Constitution by the executive\u201d.
\nAlthough this motion was adopted but stepped down for another legislative day, Umaru affirmed that in the last few years, Nigeria\u2019s democratic credentials have become questionable following alarming cases of alleged state-inspired human rights violations and consistent constitutional infractions perpetrated by agencies of government.
\nNotable instances of such human rights abuses, according to the lawmaker, is the continuous detention of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), for over two years in total disregard of over four court orders including that of the ECOWAS court.
\nOther such violations are the continuous incarceration of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shi\u2019ites, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, lack of accountability for human rights violations by security agencies and other militant elements including armed herdsmen, heavy-handed violent responses to peaceful protests as exemplified by previous crackdown on agitators from the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
\nThe upper chamber also interrogated the recent violent clashes between the police and suspected members of the IMN, who were protesting for the release of their leader, El-Zakzaky, in Abuja and Kaduna, respectively.
\nThe lawmakers, in addition, raised alarm over allegations of the country sliding into anarchy and despotism with indices of indiscriminate arrests, unconstitutional detention of citizens under questionable circumstances, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
\nThe upper chamber also queried the recent enactment of the controversial executive order No. 006 which permits security agencies to freeze the assets of persons standing trial without recourse to court order, alleged violent attacks on judicial officers and the release of $496million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for the purchase of 12 super Tucano aircraft.
\nIt was on this premise that the lawmakers urged the Federal Government to empanel a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate all the said cases of human rights abuse as allegedly committed.
\nMeanwhile, coming just few days after President Buhari\u2019s signing of executive order to freeze and confiscate assets those facing corruption charges, the House of Representatives has indicated its readiness to strip President Muhammadu Buhari of powers to freeze and forfeit assets of Nigerians under prosecution or not .
\nThe Representatives said the move is to deepen democracy and ensure true separation of powers amongst the three arms of government as constitutionally, only Judges of high courts now have such powers.
\nSpeaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara disclosed this yesterday in his statement at a public hearing on a Bill to amend the currency conversion (Freezing Orders) Act.
\nDogara stressed that the three arms of government should be strengthened to effectively perform their constitutional responsibilities, as such deepening democracy to the fullest.
\nDogara, who was represented by the deputy minority leader of the House, Hon. Chukwuka Onyeama, regretted that the executive arm was previously usurping the powers of the judiciary to adjudicate and give rulings and orders.
\nHe said it was time that the legislature rose up to play its constitutional roles in crafting laws that will protect both private and public financial investments.
\nHis words \u2018\u2019 the essence of the Bill for an Act to amend the Currency Conversion(Freezing Orders) Act is the discretionary power being sought for the judge of the high court to order the freezing and forfeiture of assets of affected persons. \u201d which previously was exercised by the President
\n\u201cIn the present Act, the power to freeze and forfeit is vested in the president, which invariably usurps and erodes the prerogative power of the judiciary to adjudicate and give rulings and orders\u2019\u2019
\nHe noted that too many petitions were before the House pertaining to breaches, which require such action like this which aims at protecting investments interest and rights and in so doing, protect and develop the Nigerian economy.
\nThe speaker also spoke of two other bills; Bill for an Act to establish Factoring (Assignment Of Receivables) 2018, and a Bill to repeal the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank,(Guarantee) Act, which governs the operations of the Bank of Industry, BOI. He said of was imperative to repeal the law because it was inhibiting the full and effective discharge of the bank\u2019s duties of meeting financial yearnings of individuals and groups seeking to do business in Nigeria.
\nIn his welcome address, chairman of the House committee on banking and currency, Hon. Jones Onyereri (PDP) insisted that the bills were aimed at strengthening the investments, business and banking climate in the country.
\nSimilarly, the House of Representatives yesterday directed the Executive arm of government to ensure the prosecution of Senator Ovie Omo- Agege and six others who allegedly invade the Senate chambers on charges of treasonable felony .
\nThe House also summed the senator\u2019s action on the day , the Mace was stolen from the Senate chambers as \u201cassault occasioning harm, conspiracy to steal and actual theft of mace, the symbol of authority of the Parliament\u201d.
\nThe lower chamber also commended the Deputy Senate president, Ike Ekwermadu, the press and international community for being steadfast during the period of hostility with the thugs
\nThese resolutions were taken at plenary presided over by deputy speaker, Hon. Sulaimon Yussuff Lasun.
\nConsidering a report of the ad hoc committee, which investigated the Senate chambers invasion, the lawmakers also approved prosecution of the Delta Senator for incitement and breach of peace in the chamber of the Senate, in addition to suspension for 180 legislative sitting days, as provided by section 14(2) of the legislative Houses (Powers and privileges) Act, 2017.
\nThe Reps committee had explained that it was imperative to prosecute the Senator and six others for obstructing and assaulting officers of the National Assembly in the course of their duty contrary to section 14 (1) \u00a9 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which provides that: \u201cany member of a legislative house who assaults or obstructs any officer of the legislative house while in the execution of his duty shall be guilty of contempt of the legislative House\u201d and should be dealt with on accordance with the provision of the law.
\nIt was also recommended that the preliminary investigation on the issue by the Police should be quickly concluded to allow for prosecution of the senator and his accomplice, while a new and much more secured National Assembly be made by designing a new security operational order and security architecture.
\nThe lawmakers resolved to be henceforth more courteous and cooperate with security operatives and NASS staff.
\nThe report had also recommended r compensation and commendation to some staff of Sergeant- at- arms for being exemplary and brave to retrieve the mace though were overpowered by the hoodlums.
\nBefore the adoption of the report, co-chairman of the investigative panel, Hon. Betty Apiafi (Rivers) noted that the multitude of protesters at the entrance of the National Assembly help to distract the attention of the security agents which made it easier for Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and his accomplices to gain access into the premises of the National Assembly.
\nOn that, Hon. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (PDP,) proposed the retraining of the sergeant at Arms at the National Assembly in order to conform with what is obtainable in other security compliant Parliaments.
\nHowever, Hon. Zakari Mohammed (, Kwara) said the distraction was not an excuse as according to him a lawmaker that is suspended would not fir any reason be admitted into the premises of National Assembly by the Sergeant at Arms hence the security agents has no excuse , good enough for such security breach.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi,Abuja<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Senate yesterday resolved to investigate all cases of human rights abuses allegedly committed by the police, Nigerian Army and other security agencies purportedly inspired by the executive arm of government. It also set out to summon the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, for explanation. The red chamber said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":180600,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-180599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-front-pix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=180599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/180600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=180599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=180599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=180599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}