Abdulrazaque Barkindo and Stanley Nkwazema in Abuja
19 June 2008
Lagos — An uneasy calm now pervades the House of Representatives following the decision of Speaker Dimeji Bankole to call for a detailed list of all financial transactions by the House from when he assumed its leadership to the last date of the session.
Bankole took over on November 1, 2007 from former Speaker Patricia Etteh who was forced to resign along with her deputy, Hon. Babangida Nguroje, over the controversy that trailed the contracts for the renovation of their official residences.
But the Speaker's move is said to be spurred by revelations that some House members are set to confront him over his incessant travels.
Bankole has been accused of always travelling, "often times on frivolous grounds", a situation which has allegedly taken its toll on attendance and discipline in the House.
"Some members are worried that the Speaker hardly sits to preside over the House. And once he travels, members too don't take attendance seriously and this is affecting House legislative activities," said one House member.
THISDAY however learnt yesterday that the Speaker returned from his tour of the United States, United Kingdom and France on Monday and moved straight to iron out what sources called grey areas particularly in the finances of the House.
The grey areas also included the list of members so far screened by the Committee on Selection for the chairmanship positions.
But THISDAY also gathered that Bankole is particularly worried that while he was away, the acting Clerk of the House, Mr. Niyi Ajiboye, and Deputy Speaker Bayero Nafada made some payments, which were not authorised by the House leadership.
Of particular interest to Bankole is the N400 million allegedly taken out of the House coffers as "sundry payments", sources said.
The money was said to have been paid on June 2, 2008 while Bankole was away in the US with about 25 members of the House.
They were said to have gone to attend a capacity building programme and also interact with the US Congress, the business community and Nigerians in Diaspora.
The decision by Bankole to call for the papers, it was gathered, is borne out of his resolve to start a new legislative session on a clean slate as the House gets set to resume on June 24.
That would be the first date of the new legislative year of the sixth parliament.
Several attempts to get the acting clerk to comment on the financial transactions were unsuccessful.
It was however confirmed that Ajiboye has been out of town since last weekend.
Nafada too has been in London since last week.
According to sources, Bankole had in a bid to maintain a clean slate ceded all financial matters and clearance for payments to the deputy speaker.
But the Speaker was said to have made some startling discoveries before his trip and returned to get more information over payments made in the House.
THISDAY learnt that the House is now divided over the strict financial scrutiny, which Bankole is allegedly trying to enforce, and the agitation by some members against his incessant travels.
Following this development, over 40 members of the House including some of those who vied for the speakership after the fall of Etteh were said to have met several times in the UK to perfect plans to give Bankole a fight when the House resumes.
But members of the Integrity Group are also not treating the matter lightly.
A prominent Action Congress (AC) member and one of the principal officers of the House told THISDAY that the group was ready to tackle the issues as soon as the House resumes plenary on Tuesday.
"This is a parliament and we cannot sit and have one of our own rubbished for nothing. If they have facts let them come and defend it, but if not, they should stop all these harassments. But if we have records against any group they will bow their heads in shame. This House has come of age and would stay," he said.
The source also described as curious the decision of the House leadership on June 16 to postpone resumption by one week without communicating that to the Speaker, who was away when the decision was taken.
When contacted last night, Mr. Hammed Bello, the Special Assistant to the Deputy Speaker, said it was not true that Nafada approved the payment of N400 million with the acting clerk of the House.
He said he was not aware any N400 million was approved for sundry payments.
Bello however said there was need to allow peace to reign in the House rather than stirring the hornets' nest just six days to the resumption of the lawmakers from the three weeks break.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the House was last night locked in a meeting to resolve the imminent crisis as it discussed the problem in the House for several hours last night.
The meeting held in the conference room of the 4th floor office of Bankole in the new building of the House.
The meeting was still ongoing as at 8.20pm when THISDAY left the National Assembly complex.
Also, some members of the House from the North-east are overwhelmed with joy over the return of the former Leader of the House, Hon. Abdul Ningi, to the lower legislative chamber.
Ningi, a consummate lawmaker, will be sworn in next Tuesday as the House resumes plenary.
The member to represent Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta and Oru Federal constituency of Imo State will also be sworn in on Tuesday along with Ningi.
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