A show of shame without an end becomes a curse. This is because there is no known cure to it. It was brazenly a show of shame and ridiculous on Tuesday, October 30, at the hallowed chamber of the Kogi State House of Assembly in Lokoja where the Majority Leader of the House, Hon Abdullahi Bello disrupted the peaceful session. This is not the first time.
It could be recalled, Kogi State House of Assembly on Tuesday 28th March, 2017 suspended Member representing Igalamela/Odolu constituency, Elder Friday Paul Sani (Makama) for six months on matters relating to anti-legislative activities. This followed a matter of public importance in the House raised by Hassan Abdullahi Bello of Ajaokuta Constituency, who accused Makama of bringing the image of the House to public disrepute.
Now, from village square to motor parks, newspaper vendors to street parliament and the court of common sense let us judge between Abdullahi Bello of Ajaokuta and Friday Sani Paul who deserved to be perpetually suspended from the chamber? Who has in the real sense brought the sanctity of the hallowed chamber to shame with beastly bestiality ?. Is it not a show of shame and an incurable curse for the same Bello fighting to maintain the so-called sanctity of the chamber to become an agent of destruction in the same House.
The statement; no smoke without fire, can easily attest to this ignominious act. If you see a goat smoking cigarette, somebody must have lit it for her. This account for why Bello who physically attacked plenary, expose members of Kogi State House of Assembly to abuse and psychological torture is not suspended from the House for anti- legislative activities.
In his words, “The Rt Hon Speaker and Distinguished Hon Colleagues, the attention of the House has been drawn to the anti legislative activities against the House by our own Colleague, Elder (Dr) Friday Sani (Igalamela /Odolu Constituency) Who until recently sued the House to which he is a member for taking a decision in compliance with the House Rule 10.I
“Recall, Distinguished Colleagues, that his activities were recently questioned and consequently an Ad Hoc Committee set up to investigate his activities.
“Having overreacted himself and dragging the image of the House to disrepute, I move, therefore, that Elder (Dr) Friday Sani, be suspended from plenary sitting of the House pending the final outcome of the litigation in court.”
Makama was asked out of the chamber to proceed on the six weeks suspension. However, as a man born with diligence, speedy attention to an assigned task, Friday Sani Makama went to test veracity of the decision of the House on his suspension in the court of law. This singular step is not for personal interest but to put the record straight for posterity sake. Makama took the bull by the horn so that children yet to be born and tomorrow’s’ leader will no be dehumanized by fighting for their fundamental human right. Today what us the verdict?
After series of legal tussle, Justice Henry Olusuyi of Kogi state High Court II in Lokoja finally ruled that the suspension of Makama on March 29th by the State of Assembly was an act of insolence as well as illegal.
He ordered: “that the suspended lawmaker be reinstated immediately with all his legal entitlements paid in arrears.”
Reacting to Justice Olusuyi’s judgement, Makama said; “I must commend Justice Henry Olusuyi of Kogi State High Court II’s decision to reinstate me from suspension.
“This shows that any one could approach the court with confidence whenever things go wrong.”
The lawmaker who was the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts also noted that he has forgiven those behind his suspension, saying that he was ready to work with all in the interest of the state. However, pandemonium and near anarchy was let lose, at the Kogi State House of Assembly, as armed thugs invaded the hallowed chambers, stripped and beat up the lawmaker representing Igalamela/Odolu constituency, Friday Sani Paul (Makama) to stupor and aborted plenary. Hon. Friday Makama was the target of the thugs. They descended him on him and stripped him naked.
His aides were also attacked by the thugs as they destroyed vehicles belonging to him. The security agents, particularly the police, were watching as the thugs carried out their action without any resistance. Most of the newly fixed chairs at the assembly gallery were destroyed.
The vehicle that conveyed the lawmaker to the House was also vandalized along with several others while the police reportedly looked the other way.
“Following court judgement which recalled me from suspension, I was scheduled to resume sitting sometime last week, but because the House was resuming from recess, I decided to tarry till that fateful Tuesday. Upon my resumption, all my colleagues irrespective of party differences received me with fun-fare with exception of Honourable Ahmed Ahmed representing Ankpa state constituency and AbdullahiBalogun representing Ajaokuta of Ajaokuta constituency. Those are the two major thugs in the House working for governor Yahaya Bello because each time I raised state matters of urgent importance, they would oppose. They were the ones always attacking other members at executive session and are always violent. Any issue that has to do with state government especially the ill-fated non-payment of workers salaries viz-a-viz the two previous Paris club, they would threaten everybody.”
Imagine Kogi State House of Assembly, plenary session which commenced on a cordial note was brought to an abrupt end due to the unruly conducts of the Majority Leader. And no member of the Kogi State 6th House of Assembly could spot any house order or rule to invoke its wrath on the Rambo or Vandam or Arnold Schwarzenegger or the Beowulf of their time. It is an Ostrich game, the head is buried in the sand but the legs are outside.
The sitting had already commenced before the Majority Leader came and was seen banging on one of entrance doors. The Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Ahmed Muhammad intervened and ensured the door was opened for Bello. Birds of the same feather flocks together.Immediately he gained entrance into the chamber, he went straight to the Speaker’s table; hitting the table more than three times, even while Hon Pedro Obaro (Mopamuro/APC) was on his feet contributing to a motion of Matter of Urgent Public Importance moved by Hon Musa Jimoh (Yagba East/APC). His actions made many of the members to leave the chamber, even Hon Pedro Obaro had to leave the complex immediately he finished making his contributions to the motion.
Similarly, I watched with utter bewilderment from the security unit early in the morning on the ill fated day Elder Makama supposed to resumed plenary. A Sienna space bus drove by a bit and began to reverse towards the security barricade then stopped.
An Iroko- size looking man with beards like Osama Bin Laden alighted from the bus began to mutter words with phone on the ear. The sun rays seething through the slide window by my side lend credence to the general believe that the day was bright, fair and Honourable Makama will resume plenary without any hitch as the day will be marked by a huge celebration. However the tall man was latter recognized as Bello Balogun who was busy boasting around that session will not hold today.
As the heat of the matter increased some fierce looking men began to come out of the Sienna bus mentioned earlier parading every nooks and crannies of the Assembly complex. I managed to relocate to the loo where two other persons designated as observers were taking solace with their tags.
“This is the reason I am not interested in Politics,” one said
“Evil thrives when good men are not doing anything. If you are from a very large family and not interested in politics your people will suffer”
“… that’s true”, one of them replied to me while I managed my way out of the premises with the gory picture of Iroko-like looking man who blocked the only access road to the Assembly complex until the police were almost on their knees begging a mere mortal man to remove the ramshackle vehicle from the way. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupt absolutely.
The chaotic situation forced everyone at the gallery of the Assembly to run for their dear lives. Exactly what does not correlation wit a society that values democracy. Nevertheless, The evil that men do lives after them, the good is always interred with their bone.
A person who is as tall as Iroko tree but lives with lilliputian voice, vision and sense of reasoning. He or she cannot proffer solution to a problem created by the same level of thought. In other words you cannot give what you do not have. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body size attracted United State government sponsorship to produced more films. Exactly what paved way for the Australian American actor to become 38th Governor of California two terms from 2003-2011. Arnold had the opportunity to be a government paid hoodlum or thug but jettison such unwholesome military might to something more meaningful.Every lost day in achieving such set goal will retard your political future from the much needed performance and relevance required by the society you represent. All eyes are on you! Dele Giwa of blessed memory rightly said
“No evil done to man shall go unpunished. Any evil done to man by man shall be redressed (either by man or God Himself) (emphasis mine). If not now, certainly later for the victory of evil over good is temporal”
– Inah Stephen Eyiene writes from Lokoja.
