Senate Berates Buhari over Uncomplimentary Remarks

Confirms four out of five CBN board nominees

Deji Elumoye

The Senate yesterday chastised President Muhamadu Buhari over his recent comments that National Assembly members who have spent over 10 years as lawmakers are bench warmers

President Buhari had last week at the Presidential Villa while playing host to the management team of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said lawmakers have been in the parliament for 10 years with nothing concrete to justify their stay-without sponsoring a single Bill

Reacting to Buhari’s statement during plenary, Senator Dino Melaye described the president’s remarks as unwarranted and unparliamentary

Melaye, who came under Order 14 of the Senate which deals with members’ privileges, said his privilege as a senator had been infringed upon by the president’s statement

He said having been a member of the National Assembly since 2007 he has contributed meaningfully to the law making process in the country.

Describing Buhari’s statement as uncalled for, un-parliamentary and unpresidential, Melaye emphasised that two of the bills sponsored by him are awaiting the president’s assent

“So I stand here to say I’m not a bench warmer and I know what I’m doing having contributed to motions and sponsored bills since I got to the National Assembly in 2007,” the senator said.

He also accused the ComptrollerGeneral of NSC, Col Ahmeed Ali (rtd), of openly campaigning for the re-election of Buhari during his visit to Aso Rock last week

According to Melaye, “It is very wrong for head of Customs to be involved in politics. Nigeria Customs is a para-military organisation while the CG is a rank and are both supposed to be apolitical

“Just like saying the InspectorGeneral of Police (IG) or Chief of Air Staff now mounting the podium to openly campaign for the president. This is not ideal and should not be tolerated.”

He said lawmakers spent their time and energy to come up with bills “which have impacted positively on the operations of agencies like NCS and others that should not dabble into politics.”

Melaye, who added that he has a disk containing all what Buhari said on the occasion as reported by local television stations, therefore called on the Senate to ask for an apology from President Buhari and stressed that a decisive action needed to be taken on the matter.

In his comment, Senate President Bukola Saraki, while asking Melaye to lay the disk before the Senate, emphasised that President Buhari may have been quoted out of context, “and as such, we should not rush to any conclusion on the issue.”

He said public institutions such as Customs should not veer into politics.

“We must therefore protect the agencies by calling such agencies and parastatals to order because they have a role to play in the development of the country,” he said.

Melaye, who was sitting at the rear of the PDP wing of the Senate Chambers, thereafter limped with his walking stick and moved to the front and laid the disk before the Senate.

Also yesterday, the Senate confirmed four out of five nonexecutive director nominees for the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) presented to it by its Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions headed by Senator Adebayo Ibrahim.

The confirmed nominees are Adeola Adetunji and three Professors namely Mike Obadan, Justina Odinakachukwu and Ummu Jalingo

Saraki directed the committee to re-screen the remaining nominee, Dr. Abdu Abubakar, and report back to the Senate. Abubakar who was screened along with other nominees by the committee last Wednesday was rejected based on avalanche of petitions against his nomination.