Contrary to speculations that the Senate will tow the line of the house of Representative in mulling the issue of impeachment, the Senate chose a safe path of blacklisting all executive bill. Though it is not clear which of the bills they are targeting, sources indicate that they have resolved to keep all executive bill in view “pending the time when the executive will end Senate persecution”
One would have expected the Senate to act within their powers to institute an inquiry into the case of the alleged “executive lawlessness” that the green chambers regard as constituting an impeachable offense. In recent times, the relation between the Legislative and the executive has reached a new low. Fingers are being pointed to the presidency in connection with the abduction of the Mace in the upper chambers, and Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, had a closed door meeting with Vice president Yemi Osinbajo. The outcome of the meeting is not clear.
Within the same period, Senator Dino Melaye has been under severe confrontation with the police that necessitated his arrest, escape and rearrest in a hospital where he is receiving treatment. Then came the letter to the Senate by the presidency informing them they have withdrawn over four million dollars to pay the US for TUCANO jets without informing the National Assembly, and now fell short of ordering them to add it to the 2018 budget. The budget is yet to be approved after the first quarter of the year.The senate held a closed session where they discussed the crisis hitting the senate, and resolved on a joint committee with the green Chambers. At the end, Saraki announced this to the house.
“This legislature is a true representation of democracy and as long as we defend this legislature, we defend democracy in this country,
“We also resolved the need to tighten the security at the National Assembly and I’m calling on all members of the public to please cooperate with us.
“Clearly, there are some loopholes here and we need to tighten them.
“A constitution of a joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives also resolved to investigate the incident of the 18th of April, to look at the factors leading to it and to ensure that such never happens again at the National Assembly.
“We also directed our committee on Security, Intelligence and Police to engage with the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police to look at how to strengthen the security of the National Assembly to ensure that these security lapses will not reoccur.”
