By Femi Ogunshola
The Northern House of Representatives caucus has denied impeachment move against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila over failure to support the controversial water resources bill.
Rep. Seriki Addah, the Chairman, the Northern Caucus, denied the move at plenary on Tuesday in Abuja, saying at no time did the caucus hold any meeting for impeachment of the speaker.
“This is a sad day and coming at a time we should be talking of how to unite this country and provide leadership, we are being dragged down by the agent of destabilisation.
“I say clearly that what has been published is malicious lies aimed at planting the seed of discord among Nigerians.”
Addah said that Gbajabiamila enjoyed the support of every lawmaker in the house, adding that his campaign to become speaker was hinged on, “nation building, a joint task”.
He said that the Speaker is from the South West and the person who contested against him was a northerner, but the northerners chose to support Gbajabiamila.
He said that the news was a disservice to the country and should be condemned, while urging the publisher to retract the publication and apologise to the north.
He said that the Northern caucus feels aggrieved and betrayed with the malicious publication.
The chairman said that the lawmakers were trying hard to build the nation, “Nigeria is Nigeria, we are one country and lawmakers operate as Nigerians; we don’t talk about tribe or religion.
The Deputy Speaker, Rep. Idris Wase, while refuting the report said that there was nothing like impeachment going on to the best of his knowledge, saying “I am a northerner”.
He pleaded with his colleagues to toe the line of what had been mentioned to trust one another, adding that members were working as a family.
He urged members not to be carried by emotions and sentiments towards dividing members.
“We remain the symbol of democracy in this country and in any nation the parliament is a symbol of democracy.
“Maybe because the speaker is away and they want to gang me up against my colleagues too and that is why they are planting this story.
“For me, I want to say we are one and we are one in terms of our activities. The matter is hereby referred to committee on ethics and privilege.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Water Resources Bill is an executive bill that passed through third reading in the House of Reps during the 8th Assembly but was rejected by the Senate.
The bill was recommitted for consideration recently in the 9th Assembly and it raised a dust.
Rep. Sanda Soli, the Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources said that the bill was an executive bill, adding that it was not intended to generate any acrimony.
The Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu, however queried why the house should be bothered about impeachment “when the country is bedevilled with insecurity?’’
Elumelu said what should concern the house was the lingering Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) strike, the kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna train victims among others.
He said that there was nothing like impeachment threat against the speaker, adding that the bill in question had not been brought for consideration and no plan to put it in the supplementary paper.
“Mine is to see how we can support the government in fighting insecurity. I want to assure Nigerians that the house is doing everything possible to support the government and get our children back to school.
Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila is currently attending a leadership course at Harvard University in the U.S. (NAN)
