A dangerous trend…

Like never before in the democratic history of Nigeria as a nation, the last few days leaves every Nigerian wondering, what the future of Nigeria as a sovereign entity holds for us all. The objective analysis of the outburst of the lawmakers in the House of Representatives in the opposition circle which aligned with their Senate counterparts portends so much danger for the nascent democracy. While I don’t want to draw conclusion on the battle line drawn by the aggrieved lawmakers with President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, it is instructive to caution that the lackadaisical attitude of the Majority members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) can snow-ball into bigger crisis. The cold war was sparked by nothing but the anti-corruption war of Mr. President. The underlying and latent agitation on the mind of the 360 members and 109 senators remain, who will be next to go into the hook? Hence, they resolved to turn themselves into organized labour union by adopting the slogan of “Injury to one, injury to all.”
The anti-Buhari agitation was spearheaded by Tajudeen Yusuf (PDP-Kogi) via a motion sponsored under matters of urgent national importance, entitled: “Urgent need to safeguard the nation’s democracy and protect the integrity and independence of the National Assembly.” Likewise, the South-East caucus also rolled out its war drum. For any independent mind, the hue and cry was self-serving and anti-people, considering the years of locust and caterpillar which millions of Nigerians have been subjected to under both the military regime and democratic rule. The most pathetic situation bedeviling Nigeria, as the most populous African nation on earth is that, where are the institutions built 56 years of independence? Is democracy paying-off and who benefits from the system: majority of Nigerians or the few? Who among the past leaders be it military and politicians protect the interest of the common man? Rather than facing realities on ground, our lawmakers who swore to defend the Nigerian Constitution have betrayed the ‘Trust” conferred on them by Nigerians but result to individual aggrandizement.
What discordant tune playing out from the legislative arm to the Executive, no doubt will back-fire! I don’t mean to sound as ‘Prophet of doom’ anyway. Yusuf said: “I strongly urge Mr. President who has sworn to an oath to defend and protect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to prevail on the members of the Executive Council from taking steps that will cripple the National Assembly, including prosecuting the presiding officers of the Senate, over alleged forgery of Senate rules, which a competent court of law has also recognised as strictly the internal affairs of the national assembly and which judgment has not been set aside by any superior court.”
He further argued that the National Assembly is “presently under unprecedented, severe and sustained attack by the Executive arm of Government.”
For me, the trade blaming is uncalled for as far as the interest and well-being of majority of the citizenry are concerned.
But it was amazing that some of the agitators formed part of the House Committee on FCT which came up with far-reaching recommendations for the prosecution of the immediate past Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Bala Mohammed; Adamu Ismaila, incumbent Executive Director of Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA); Faruk Sani, Coordinator, Abuja Infrastructure Investment Centre (AICC) by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related offences (ICPC) over alleged malpractices and culpability or otherwise in the abuse of financial regulations, due process procedures and ICRC regulations with regard to the Land Swap scheme initiated by the Jonathan administration.
The previous FCT administration awarded and allocated over 7,600 hectares of land to companies and individuals under the Land Swap programme. For me it was unprecedented because there’s no banana peeling so far.
Likewise, the House of Representatives on Thursday unveiled plans to investigate the funds disbursed so far to various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across the country.
The funds donated include: the sum of N6.3 billion donated by Dangote and other individuals; $800 million donated by World Bank; $248 million donated by UNDP for the rebuilding of the North East out of which $24 million has been released so far; $200 million donated by United States; $750 million donated by Saudi Arabia and N900 million donated by Australian government, among others.
If in the wisdom of the legislators, the alleged ‘conspiracy against the “two principal officers” otherwise referred to as “National Assembly” such investigation should be done internally by the same individuals, then the resolutions taken for prosecution of a former Executive cabinet under the PDP should be done by the Executive not the Legislature. My questions regurgitating in my mind are: “Is it moral for two individuals to be addressed as National Assembly?”

Agomuo Zebulon