Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the warning on Thursday when they spoke in separate interviews after the Eid prayer in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Reacting to some of the resolutions reached by 17 Southern Governors in Asaba on Tuesday, Lawan, faulted what he described as call for regionalism, pointing out as leaders, whatever challenges facing the country currently should be jointly tackled by elected political leaders from the three tiers of government.

According to him, before Governors would start thinking of joining calls for restructuring, each of them must first look to how much of such restructuring has been achieved in his home state, which is a component of the units making up the federation.

Lawan said: “What you may accuse the Federal Government of, whatever it is, you may also be accused of the same thing in your state.

“So, we are supposed to ensure that we have a complete and total way of ensuring that our systems at the Federal, State and even local government levels work for the people.

“We must allow people to participate in governance so that whoever feels he has something to offer to make Nigeria better does so freely without any let or hindrance.”

Urging elected leaders to shun regionalism, Lawan added: “We should avoid regionalism. We are all leaders and we are in this together. The solutions to our challenges must come from us regardless of what level of government we are, whether at the federal, state or the local government level. I believe that Nigeria is going to come out of these challenges stronger.”

Lawan also attributed the difficulty in solving the protracted security challenges in the country to the absence of a functional local government system.

He noted while leaders at all levels seek solutions to the security crisis confronting the nation, the local government system should not be neglected, explaining the lack of autonomy for local government administration potentially inhibits solutions as well as efforts by the federal and state governments towards addressing the security challenge.

“I also want to take this opportunity to say that we have diminished the local government system. I think we can attribute the security issues to the absence of a functional local government system.

“I think the time has come for us to take up the challenge and ensure that the local government system functions. This is as we look for ways to curb the security challenge.

“We must never neglect the local government system. We must go back to our local government system to ensure they are autonomous and functional,” Lawan said.

Toeing the same line, Speaker Gbajabiamila maintained there might be genuine agitations but explicitly stated that elected leaders and Governors should particularly not champion the movement for restructuring without first replicating the idea at the state level.

He believed those who have championed the call for secession might be misguided and do not mean well for the country.

“If truth be told, we all have equal shares in the blame for what’s happening today.

Whatever challenges we have, we must all come together to make sure that we resolve these issues we’re facing. We must imbibe that spirit of oneness, togetherness, unity and love that would take us through this,” he said.

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Some lawmakers believed the President owed Nigerians an explanation on what his administration is doing to halt the killings; other vehemently opposed the move.

Following heated arguments and an executive session later, the House resolved to invite the President.

A formal invitation is expected to be dispatched to him.

The sharp division among the lawmakers forced the House into an executive session, which lasted about 30 minutes.

Before then, opposing camps angrily confronted each other over the motion.

The motion of urgent national importance was sponsored by Ahmed Satomi, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Zainab Gimba, Muktar Betara, Mallam Bukar Gana, Haruna Mshelia, Ahmadu Usman Jaha, Ibrahim Mohammed Bukar, Usman Zannah and Abdulkadir Rahis.

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila invited one of the sponsors of the motion to amend the prayers inviting the President.

Presenting the motion, Santomi, the lead sponsor, excluded the invitation and asked for the declaration of a state of emergency on insecurity.

However, coming under matters of privilege, Jaha (APC Borno) expressed displeasure that the prayer was excluded after it was collectively agreed by the sponsors, insisting that it be included and the President invited to brief the House.

He said: “Mr Speaker, I stand here on behalf of the displaced people of Borno state who elected us. For your information, I was elected by those people, including those in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps to protect their interest.

“All the lawmakers from Borno resolved that prayers of the motion should remain the way it is. My name is there as a co-sponsor of the motion.

“I realised that by the time he was reading the motion, he eliminated some prayers that we have all agreed that is going to be passed here.

“I give up my life for my people. So, I fear nobody except God. The other prayer that he didn’t put is that we are going to invite Mr President to come and explain to the House on the security situation.

“These security forces have been given all the support to do the job. If we invite them, they will say they don’t have enough equipment.

“Yesterday (Monday), the President said he has given them all the support to do the job. Unfortunately, they fail to do it.

“Secondly, I said on the floor of this House that we are not taking the battle to their doorsteps.

“Everybody resolved that yes, they are not taking the battle to their doorsteps. Yesterday (Monday), the President confirmed that this time, they should be taking the battle to their doorsteps.”

Efforts by the Speaker to make Jaha withdraw the prayer failed as he insisted that all members from Borno State who sponsored the motion should agree first.

Gbajabiamila said it would not be ideal to invite the President because security matters cannot be discussed in public.

He said: “This is an appeal from the chair. We are talking about security matters. You and I know that the channel of discussion of security matters such as this will not be to invite the President to come and disclose issues of security and what they are doing. It will be counterproductive.

“The prayer is all-encompassing. By asking the President to declare a state of emergency, which is part of the prayers, it allows for extraordinary measures.

“That singular prayer is more important than the President coming to tell us anything. So, it is an appeal so that we don’t react based on the passion we feel. Honourable Jaha, I am appealing to you because of what is involved.”

Tempers flared when the House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano) said security issues were too delicate to be brought to the floor of the House.

Shehu Koko (APC, Kebbi) said the leadership of the House should interface with the President instead on the issue in view of the fact that security should not be discussed in the open.

Members who supported the invitation of the President refused to allow Koko to make his point as they shouted him down with “no”, “no”, “no”.

Gbajabiamila expressed disappointment with his colleagues’ behaviour, saying: “I am a little disappointed by these shouting down. So we are going to dissolve into an executive session to resolve this issue.”

On resumption from the executive session, the Speaker invited Jaha to move his amendment.

Jaha said: “Mr Speaker, I want to move an amendment that the President does come to the House to explain to explain the security situation in the country.”

The motion was unanimously adopted by members present, even though there were indications that many of the lawmakers had vacated the chamber shortly after the executive session.

Santomi said the exact number of people killed in the incident was not yet known as over 44 dead bodies were recovered and buried, all of them slaughtered, along with six others with serious injuries even as many more residents were reported missing.

He spoke of the urgent need for the President to reorganise the country’s security architecture.

In addition to inviting the President, the House wants the government to declare a state of emergency on the security situation.

It asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to involve the people of Zabarmari community in the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

The House also resolved to investigate the readiness of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to manufacture arms and ammunition in view of the seeming frustration to procure weapons for the armed forces from other countries.

A motion to amend the main motion by Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, that firearms law be amended to allow eligible Nigerians to bear arms was not allowed to scale through.

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It was during the legislative hearing on the loans agreements signed by the ministry. At issue was an alleged $33 billion loan which Ossai said Nigeria had signed. But the minister denied any such agreement.

The drama unfolded before Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muhammed Bello.

Amaechi, who had warned the committee against scrutinising the Chinese loans, repeated his position that Nigeria might lose the opportunity of a loan to fund the Lagos-Calabar coastal rail line and the people of Southsouth will be denied that project because “of the committee you set up to investigate the Chinese loans.”

Ossai (PDP Delta), frowned at the “misconception and misgivings” on the legislative scrutiny of various agreements signed by government officials.

”We have heard some people ask why we are focusing on only Chinese-related loans and commercial contracts. We will like Nigerians to know that we aren’t focusing on only Chinese loans. From what we know, Nigeria has over 500 bilateral loan and commercial contracts agreements and investments treaties with different countries and institutions.

”There is no way the committee will do a thorough job without segmenting the issues based on countries, institutions, or MDAs. Thus, it must be clearly noted that this is not targeted at only China, neither was it designed to impede the development of the railway sector and other infrastructures.

“But rather to ensure full disclosure, transparency, accountability, utmost good faith, and value for money in both the bilateral loans and commercial contracts agreements entered into by the Nigerian government.

“The loan agreements we have seen so far, show that government officials charged with the responsibility of representing Nigeria were more desperate to just take the loans at any condition, possibly using non-negotiated loan agreements templates rather than go through the rigour of diligent technical review of negotiating specific clauses with clarity and for national interest.

”For instance, it’s a common practice that most international loan agreements would adopt ‘Sovereign guarantee’ and a neutral international arbitration centre as opposed to waiving of our national sovereignty in an omnibus manner; especially in dealing with countries like China, known to possess an absolute state status on their institutions and corporations.

“However, the immunity clauses in most of these agreements before us are not only ambiguous but very obscure. And without recourse to the fact that Nigerian government had issued circular on the subject matter with reference number SGF/OP/S.3/X/ 1737 dated 11th August, 2014 that provided guideline on issues of waiver of sovereign immunity clause during loan and commercial agreements negotiations.

”We expected government officials negotiating and signing these loans to fully comply with this guideline and also ensure that the clauses are couched to clearly reflect same”.

Questioning the rationale behind accepting Hong Kong as arbitration centre for the Chinese loans secured by Nigeria, he said “arbitration centres for bilateral loan agreements are known to be generally on neutral grounds unlike what we have in most of the Nigeria/China agreements where Hong Kong that is also governed by China laws was designated as the Arbitration Centre.

“From our experience, the MDAs sign these commercial agreements in billions of dollars, then go to the President and Federal Executive Council for approval to execute, including securing loan facilities through Ministry of Finance and Debt Management Office (DMO) and then proceed to negotiate the terms of these loans before coming back to Mr. President who then writes the National Assembly asking for approval for billions of dollars to do projects without attaching the negotiated loan and commercial contracts agreement details.

“This approach is the reason we have government representatives signing empty pages of loan agreements repayment schedule and other key documents required for the loan agreements to become effective. We have commercial contracts signed in US dollars, while the loan agreements for the execution of the same contracts were signed in Chinese YUAN currency in Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy/Galaxy Backbone Limited.

”We have noticed from documents available to us that commercial contracts signed by federal ministry of transportation alone is over $33 billion without any clearcut financing arrangements. Most of these commercial contracts agreements didn’t also have local content clauses and more witnessed by none properly designated and authorized officials.

”There are observable issues relating to procurement process, evidence of 15% advanced payments, payment of management fees, drawdown process and remittances and a whole lot of other matters, which we are strongly poised to ask questions on and hopes to get honest answers that will fine tune the current process, plan for possible renegotiation of some these agreements in order serve Nigerians better.

While dismissing the claim of an existing $33 billion contract signed by the Ministry, Amaechi demanded evidence of the contract from the Committee. He said: “Mr. Chairman, if you say that the the ministry has awarded a contract of $33 billion, we would want to see it because the only contract Ministry of Transportation has awarded so far is $1.6 billion for Lagos/Ibadan (rail project).

“The Implication of having a $33 billion contract is that be will have a large number of workers. There is no $33 billion contract in the Ministry of contract. What we have is the $1.6 billion contract awarded under President Buhari and $800 million contract awarded under President Goodluck Jonathan. By the time, the contract signed under President Jonathan had been completed, 80 per cent and so, we didn’t have to do anything about local content or no local content.

“The only one we had to deal with the issue of local content which is the only contract we have for now is the $1.6 billion contract awarded from Lagos to Ibadan of which the Chinese government is providing $1.2 and wed are providing the remaining $400 million. There are over 20,000 workers on that project with only 560 of them being Chinese. We need to begin to say truth to Nigerians.”

Amaechi told the committee that the Lagos/Calabar rail line will not be possible because the House is probing the loan which has not been secured for the project, adding that at the moment, there is no contract because there was no loan.

However, as the interaction began to degenerate into an altercation between the minister and the Chairman of the Committee, the Speaker walked in unannounced and asked that the hearing be adjourned for 10 minutes.

Ossai demanded comprehensive explanation from the Minister on the various loans taken by the government insisting that it was immaterial whether the loan was taken by the APC government or the PDP government, adding that what was important was that the interest of Nigeria and future generation of Nigerians was at stake.

The following discussion took place between the minister and the panel chairman:

Ossai: You submitted an addendum section 16 B (1) under the loan content obligation. Articule 61 (1) stated that the contractor hall develop and submit to the employer, Ministry of Transport for its approval a local content plan for training and engagement of Nigeria labour plan in all aspect of the contractor work. Can you provide the committee the certified copies of the labour plan, training carried out and the beneficiaries and evidence of the number of Nigerians working in all aspect of this project and their Chinese counterpart as provided in that document?

Amaechi: I will give a slight response to your speech and then my response. The slight response is to say that we tried to be more patriotic than we have been.

Committee member: Point of order Mr. Chairman.

Ossai: I have given him the right to speak.

Amaechi: No sir, I have a right to speak. You have invited me and I have a right to speak. I was once a member of a House. So, I have the right to talk.

Ossai: Can you speak to the questions I asked you now?

Amaechi: It is either you allow speak or I stop.

Ossai: I am in charge here and I will observe you when the need arises. The Minister is speaking and I will not observe any other member. Let the Minister finish his speech and I will give you room to talk.

Amaechi: So, Mr. Chairman, the contract awarded by this government is $1.2 billion contribution by the Chinese and the $400 million being contributed by Nigeria. You ask for document and I have said I will provide the details. You talk of training. Over 150 Nigerians are in China to be trained. Apart from that, they have built two training institutions. One in Idu and I will like the Chairman to come and visit. We are also building a university in Daura.

Ossai: Are you aware, Mr Minister of the $11.1 billion Nigeria Coastal Railway project that was signed on 1st of July 2016?

Amaechi: Has the loan been approved?

Ossai: I am asking you. Are you aware?

Amaechi: I am aware, but has the loan been approved?

Ossai: You made a lot of statements initially and you restricted yourself to one. The Commercial contract further stated that the contract further covenant that he shall give priority to the engagement of Nigerian commercial firm for the supply of goods and materials. Can you provide us with records of Nigerians commercial firms currently being engaged and providing services under this contract.

Amaechi: it is important to tell you that the contract was signed as a credit to a loan and we have not gotten the loan because of you and the committee you set up against the China group. That contract is from Lagos to Calabar which covers the whole of the south south. We may not get that loan and so, there is no contract.

Ossai: I am talking about the contract…

Amaechi: Which contract? Do you want to see the south south contract? If you want to, say so. Because you are from the south south. Because of the committee you have set up, we will loss that loan for the project from Lagos to calabar.

Ossai: This issue is not about South south, but about Nigeria and I am serving Nigeria as a legislator. For us to continue to serve our geopolitical zones, this country will not be nice. If zone A get their share, next year, another zone…

Amaechi: I am coming, have you now approached me on south south rail?

Ossai: I have not

Amaechi: You have. Mr Chairman, you have approached me.

Ossai: That is ok. We will degenerate the issue to south south or any other south.

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Speaking after Pondei was taken to a hospital after he fainted at the venue of the investigation on Monday, Gbajabiamila directed the panel to use documents he already tendered to the panel to reach its conclusion.

The acting managing director of the commission fainted while he was being grilled by the panel over allegations bordering on the mismanagement of funds.

While wishing Pondei a quick recovery, the speaker apologised over the poor condition of the hearing room which was stuffy.

“We wish him well. I have been here barely five minutes and I am already sweating profusely. So I do understand and apologise to everybody here for the poorly conducive atmosphere. I want to say at this point and make it clear, that is not an adversarial hearing. It is not even inquisitorial,” the speaker said.

“It is a fact-finding mission for the people of Nigeria. Just to make things better and we should handle this as such. No one is under inquisition. The fact must come out and that is why the committee is doing what it is doing.

“Because of these conditions in this hall, we don’t need to hear further from the acting MD because he has already submitted his written report. I think you can use the documents to do the work that needs to be done.

“Starting from the minister, Dr. Cairo and all the executive directors – we are sorry under the conditions which you have been invited and my members are under the same conditions. We wish Mr Pondei all the best.”

Gbajabiamila commended Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, chairman of the probe panel, for recusing himself from the investigation.

“I want to commend the chairman of the committee who this morning recused himself from being part of the proceedings. It shows the level of integrity of himself and by extension his committee and further extension to the house of representatives. I believe he has set the stage for a fair hearing,” he said.

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Sani-Omolori would spend five more years in office despite attaining retirement age.

Federal lawmakers had amended the relevant laws without a public hearing. The amended law for the tenure elongation did not get the assent of the president.

In a memo to Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, Yemi-Esan said the public service rules provide only “for attainment of 60 years of age or 35 years of service for an officer to retire, whichever comes earlier”.

“The 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria (as amended) classifies the clerk and other staff of the national assembly as public servants whose conditions of service are guided by the public service rules which derives its existence from section 169 made pursuant to section 160(1) of the constitution,” she said.

“In specific terms, section 318(1) of the constitution states that ‘public service of the federation means the service of any capacity in respect of the government of the federation and includes as (a) clerk or other staff of the national assembly or of each house of the national assembly’.”

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Elumelu in a statement on Friday in Abuja said that he was surprised that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party would suspend him without a fair hearing.

The NWC had earlier invited Elumelu and other minority principal officers of the house to appear before the committee and explain how they emerged principal officers against the will of the party.

The principal officers who emerged under controversial circumstances however failed to appear before the committee scheduled for Friday July 5.

Elumelu said that he lost an aunt and left Abuja immediately after Thursday’s plenary for Delta.

The minority leader said that he left immediately after sitting not midnight and that his gate-man received the letter of invitation at about 7.45p.m. on Thursday.

Elumelu said that the gate-man called him at 8p.m. to inform him of the development and he tried to reach out to other members named in the letter to see if they could be at the meeting.

The lawmaker said that he found out that other members were also out of town so he directed a Special Assistant to convey the message to the NWC and request for a new date.

“I am surprised and shocked, that the National Working Committee of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) can sit and take a decision without giving room for fair hearing.

“I had expected that if the date we suggested was not convenient for the party, they would have propose another day when we could appear before them. I have great respect for the party and am ready to serve,” Elumelu said.

In line with precedence, the PDP, being the major minority party in house, earlier wrote to the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila nominating Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers) as the Minority Leader.

The party chose Rep. Chukwuka Onyema (PDP-Anambra) as Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Yakubu Barde (PDP-Kaduna) as Minority Whip and Rep. Muraina Ajibola (PDP-Oyo) as Deputy Minority Whip.

However, the speaker announced Rep. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu as Minority Leader, Rep. Toby Okechukwu as Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Gideon Gwani as Minority Whip and Rep. Adesegun Adekoya- Deputy Minority Whip.

Gbajabiamila had explained that the lawmakers were chosen across all minority parties in the house and that the PDP alone could not dictate who leads the minority parties.

According to Elumelu, it is unfortunate if the party suspends its most loyal members for towing the path of honour and constitutionalism.

“I owe my party and its leaders a duty of care to advise appropriately as one the ranking member of the house and I have discharged that duty.

“I advised my leaders appropriately about the House Rules and provisions on nomination of leadership and that PDP alone cannot do it without other eight minority political parties.

“On the Speakership, PDP had no candidate, I followed my conscience, I follow what my constituents clamoured for, I followed practices and conventions,” he said.

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The other lawmakers are Wole Oke; Lynda Ikpeazu; Anayo Edwin; Gideon Gwadi; Toby Okechukwu and Adekoya Abdul-Majid.

Their suspension was made known in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesman of the party.

The NWC had summoned the lawmakers on Thursday over the role they were alleged to have played in the minority leadership tussle of the lower legislative chamber.

According to the statement, the lawmakers’ action was an act of insubordination. They were ordered to proceed on a month suspension.

“The Party noted the roles played by the underlisted members which resulted in the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, reading another list for Minority Leadership of the House other than the list submitted to him by our party, the PDP,” the statement read.

“After preliminary examination by the NWC, it was evident that the roles played by the above-mentioned members, bordered on indiscipline, insubordination and disobedience of party directives contrary to Section 58 (1)(b)(c)(f)(h) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), which provides that:

“Subject to the provision of this Constitution, the Party shall have power to discipline any member who says or does anything likely to bring the party into disrepute, hatred or contempt; disobeys or neglects to carry out lawful directives of the party or any organ or officer of the party; engages in anti-party activities; or engages in any conduct likely to cause disaffection among members of the party or is likely to disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of the business of the party.

“Consequent upon this, the above-mentioned members of our party are hereby suspended for one month and this matter is hereby referred to the National Disciplinary Committee of our party, in keeping with Section 57(3) of the PDP Constitution.”

During Wednesday’s session, some lawmakers in the PDP had exchanged blows over the position of the minority leader.

The session got rowdy when Femi Gbajabiamila, the speaker, was about to announce minority principal officials.

Kingsley Chinda, a PDP lawmaker from Rivers, had said the leadership of his party had written to the speaker to inform him of its choice for the positions, asking Gbajabiamila to adopt the list sent by the PDP.

The opposition party had stated its preference for Chinda as minority leader, Chukwuka Onyema as deputy minority leader; Yakubu Barde, minority whip and Muraina Ajibola, deputy minority whip. But Gbajabiamila said there were nine minority political parties and the PDP alone could not determine who led the minority.

He had moved to read a letter which he said was signed by 99 members of minority political parties on the leadership positions but some lawmakers left their seats and started struggling for the mace which led to a brawl.

The speaker had announced Elumelu as minority leader, Toby Okechukwu, deputy minority leader; Gideon Gwani, minority whip; and Adesegun Adekoya, deputy minority whip.

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