The former Chief Whip of the upper legislative chamber and one of
the leaders of Action Democratic Party, ADP, Senator Rowland Owie, has
accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led executive arm of government
of carrying out the attack on Senate where the mace was stolen....
Speaking in an interview with Daily Sun, Owie condemned the
invasion of the senate by thugs, alleging that the disgraceful act had
the support of security agents.
The former lawmaker also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of not promoting democracy with its acts.
He called on the National Assembly to start the process of
President Buhari’s impeachment immediately for spending over 469 million
dollars on helicopter without approval from the National Assembly.
In his words;
“It is a desecration of the order; all those that were involved
certainly committed treason. When I was looking at the newspaper, I saw
the vehicle that was used.
“I asked one of my sons the name of the vehicle and he said it
was ‘Infiniti’, that the car cost almost 80million. That type of vehicle
is not owned by a street hawker, it is not owned by a teacher, it must
be owned by a top government official. "For thugs to go through the well
fortified gates of the National Assembly and then enter into the
chamber of the senate where there is electronic check, it means that
there was total collaboration with the security agents. From all
indications what happened was supported by the executive of this
country.
“For them to be able to leave the National Assembly with the
mace it is a shame on this nation, it is a shame on the security
agencies. It means that all the security agents were aware and they were
told to stand down. "Police at the assembly are not less than 100
officers, so I don’t see how thugs could have breached the security if
it wasn’t planned. All those involved should be brought to justice.
“If Nigerians don’t wake up it will be a disaster. This APC
government headed by Muhammadu Buhari is not people-oriented. It is
unfortunate that there are very good people inside it but they are
quiet. "And when you are quiet in the face of injustice it means that
the individual doesn’t have the fear of God in him. My colleagues in the
National Assembly have not lived up to expectation in checking the
excesses of the executive.
“The legislature is the most important tool in democracy; the
legislature should endeavor to check the executive. There have been a
lot of irresponsible actions taken by the executive which the senate has
failed to address.” Asked what he specifically would you have loved to
see the National Assembly do to the executive, Senator Owie added, “How
can the National Assembly which has the authority of confirmation of
appointees reject the statutory appointment of an official and then the
executive goes behind to retain such person?
“How can the executive neglect the rejection of the
legislature? If the Senate was not sparing the rod, the moment the
executive went ahead to confirm the appointment they would have removed
the allocation meant for the particular office or position, so that if
the chairman works and is paid, whoever that paid him would have
committed an impeachable offence.
“The executive in this government has looked down on the
National Assembly time and time again. How can the president spend over
469 million dollars on helicopter without approval from the National
Assembly? The Senate should immediately send Buhari a message and begin
impeachment procedure against him.”
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