NASS joint section ends with vote-of-no-confidence upheld against IGP

*Their destination of aggression is Buhari – Respondent

*“They summoned IGP, DG DSS, but fight only IGP”

* Why Saraki is after IGP – Lawyer

“Now they have been after the IGP over the killings in the country.  Is the IGP the only service chief in the country?  After all, he was not the only one the Senate summoned.  They also summoned the DG DSS who also did not come.  How come they are fighting only the IGP?  To the extent that on TVC few days ago, Senator Ben Bruce, drilled by the interviewer, publicly said the IGP refused to honour their summon because he cannot speak English and so that he cannot speak in the public.  Automatically, they have by themselves demystified the respected Senate,” NASS berated.

The sudden joint session to which Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara collapsed the two chambers of the National Assembly in a suspicious circumstances Tuesday morning has ended.

The closed door joint session, reported as sparking uncertainties by the way it came, ended with a resolve by senators and House members to uphold the vote of no-confidence with they separately passed on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Ibrahim Idris some week ago.

The resolutions were read by Senate President Bukola Saraki.

“We also hereby reaffirm our earlier resolution on the vote of no confidence on the Inspector General of Police, who does nothing but preside over innocent Nigerians with an outright disregard for the constitutional authority of both the executive and the legislature,” Saraki said.

The joint session also agreed that President Muhammadu Buhari must be held accountable for the actions of his appointees and sanction erring appointees.

“The President must be held accountable for the actions of his appointees and must be ready to sanction those that carry out any act which will ridicule or endanger our country and democracy.”

The Senate had earlier in May 2018 declared the IGP as an ‘enemy of democracy’ and that he is unfit to hold a public office. The announcement was made after the police boss refused to appear in person before the lawmakers who summoned him earlier on two different occasions.

The IGP was summoned over the spate of killings in some parts of the country and over the arrest and prosecution in court of Senator Dino Melaye, who has been in court for his alleged involvement in criminal cases.

Both chambers, during the joint session, however, gave marching orders to security agencies to protect Nigerians and curtail incessant killings by gunmen.

“The Security Agencies must be given marching orders to curtail the sustained killings of Nigerians across the country and protect life and properties of Nigerians as this is the primary duty of any responsible Government.”

In the meantime, some Nigerians who spoke on the joint session have said whatever the outcome of the National Assembly sudden joint session Tuesday would be taken against them as trying to get at President Buhari for his refusal to stop the IGP from doing his job of taking arrested criminals to justice.

One of them who spoke under condition of anonymity said, “Just look at this, whenever they want do their evil thing against Buhari they will call one of his appointees who is working well and they will hide the evil they want to do under the summon. Don’t forget how they deprived Nigerians from knowing the truth about the Customs’ police on importation of cars when they asked him to wear uniform.  Worse is, each time Saraki would do this, he will vacate his seat for the PDP Deputy Senate President who never has good intention for this APC government.

“Now they have been after the IGP over the killings in the country.  Is the IGP the only service chief in the country?  After all, he was not the only one the Senate summoned.  They also summoned the DG DSS who also did not come.  How come they are fighting only the IGP?  To the extent that on TVC few days ago, Senator Ben Bruce, drilled by the interviewer, publicly said the IGP refused to honour their summon because he cannot speak English and so that he cannot speak in the public.  Automatically, they have by themselves demystified the respected Senate.  It means they were responsible for the doctored video recently circulated on social media and helped hype media who already have taken side with them.

“They now went into joint session barely 24 hours after pulling out of talk as nPDP with the Presidency and this is the first thing they want to do to show to the President that their bloc in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has a power to wield against the President.

“And to do this they are attacking the IGP and when they have now succeeded in passing a vote of no-confidence on the IGP and have now held the President to responsible for refusal of their wish by any of his appointees whenever they try manipulate or coax him to do what is believed to be against the Constitution.

“We are now at this point waiting to see action from the President.  If President Buhari fails to act against these lawmakers who have taken huge money for doing nothing, whatever they do to him later, I think he will be deserving it.  I rest my case.”

“Why Saraki is after IGP”

In his comment titled, “Saraki Robbery Case: Nigeria and its contradictions,” a lawyer who is also a journalist posted on a journalists platform his anger about talk in town describing the police allegation against the Senator President, Bukola Saraki, as a frame up just to agree with Saraki himself and his usual supporting “elected” distinguished colleagues.

In the comment he said, “I read some disappointing positions maintained by some respected friends online about how the invited Senate President, Saraki, couldn’t have participated in the murderous robbery incident in OFFA town, Kwara State few weeks ago.

“What is participation in a crime?  Is participation limited to the activities at the scene of crime?

“Did Gen. Bisallah shoot a bullet in the murder of Gen. Muritala Mohammd? Yet he was involved in the assassination!

“To almost every crime there are different roles assigned to different criminal(s), and whatever role is assigned to you once you perform the role you are involved.

“Allocating roles to individuals in crimes depends on the capacity and capability of the would-be criminals.

“A pastor was arrested for robbery in Warri recently, his only role was “mere” keeping the weapons after each robbery operation.  I equally read about a lady who was arrested in Lagos last year, and her only role was cooking for her (Evans-led) gang of robbers (and kidnappers) after operations.

“A herbalist was picked up for robbery in Kogi State few years ago for providing spiritual fortifications for his gang of robbers.  The man who keeps the robbery booties belongs to the gang.

“That person who facilitates the escape of robbers and or prevents their arrest is a member.

“The boys arrested and who have equally confessed to the Offa robbery incident are known boys of the Senate President within Ilorin City.  In fact some of them are on the official payroll of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as personal staff of Mr. Saraki and reputed to be above law in the city.

“The weapons used for the robbery were bought by their leader, the vehicles used for the robbery were bought by the same leader, state government help the robbers to quickly change the registration of the vehicles used for the robbery and these alterations to the identities of the vehicles were carried out within the Kwara Govt. House!

“Robbers usually have godfathers who share from the booties of robbery operations.  Their shares might not necessarily be direct cash robbed, it could come in form of assassination of political opponents or business partners which are for the enjoyment of their godfathers.  While the boys go away with cash and protection from the long arm of the law.

“I read some argued that every political leaders keeps thugs; is thuggery a social norm and must it be encouraged?  If a political leader keeps thugs for the purposes to maim or assassinate, and they go further to rob where a pregnant woman is killed, nine police officers murdered and other 23 Nigerians cut into pieces by the bullets, weapons and vehicles provided by this leader and you are postulating witch hunt .

“How important is human life to you?” He concluded the article, described by many who discussed it as capable of motivating the Nigerian police any corrupt-free judge to see the light of the activities of the Senate with regard to the controversy they are creating against the Inspector-General of Police.

They even added that while considering the case of those arrested Offa robbers with their alleged connection with the Senate President  and government of Kwara State, some of the utterances of some Senators like Ben Bruce which proved their likely involvement in the circulation of damaging doctored video about the personality of the IGP recently should be treated as germane.