Senate drops Oyofo as Chief Whip, picks Udo-Udoma
From Alifa Daniel and
Azimazi Momoh Jimoh,
Abuja
VICTOR Oyofo made a last ditch effort to save his job as Chief Whip of the Senate. He pleaded for the rules of natural justice to prevail so that his own side of the story could be heard. He was ignored. Senator John Azuta Mbata reminded him that the Senate was not a court.
Without giving him the opportunity to defend himself, the question was put, and in unanimity of voices, Senator Oyofo's leadership role as the Chief Whip was cut short yesterday. In the same unanimous voice-vote, a lawyer from the South-South Zone, Udoma Udo-Udoma, was elected the new and second Senate Majority Whip of the Second Session of the Fifth National Assembly.
His removal, it was gathered, was the culmination of a meeting of the Senate's South-South Caucus members that held until late yesterday.
However, Oyofo flayed the manner of his removal. He told The Guardian in his office: "I was appointed in the caucus last year and what you saw (today) is not justice. Therefore, I don't have much regard for that kind of system where people will accuse you; they are not courageous enough to even tell you what you have done; people that can go behind you and hold meetings in the dead of the night and come around you leaves much to be desired."
It all started with an announcement that the caucus had lost confidence in the leadership of Oyofo, who as its head, was the Senate Majority Leader.
Of the 18 senators from the caucus, 13 signed the document asking for his removal but Wabara pleaded that the rules of fairness and natural justice be followed and Oyofo be allowed to defend himself.
The caucus members refused. However, Senator Felix Ibru pleaded that South-South "family considerations" should take precedence and the matter be withdrawn for further deliberations in the caucus. Wabara agreed with him and urged that they take it to Senator Melford Okilo for resolution.
"I want to plead with Senators from the South-South. It is their prerogative. No doubt about that. If Ibru is taking responsibility to take this matter home and discuss, I think we should honour him," the Senate President pleaded.
Senator David Brigidi acknowledged Ibru's efforts to persuade the caucus seven times the previous night but insisted that the zone was bent on his removal.
Oyofo asked to defend himself in the spirit of natural justice. Mbata from Rivers State reminded him it was not a court of law. Wabara maintained that the Senate Majority Whip could not be removed on the basis of an announcement from the caucus except through a motion.
Mbata promptly rushed to his seat and moved the motion. Brigidi seconded the motion. Wabara asked that those in support should say "Aye" The shout of "Aye" resounded in the chambers. Waraba asked those against to say "Nay". There was not a single voice dissent.
Immediately the removal became a fait accompli, Mbata moved another motion for Oyofo's replacement with Udo-Udoma from Akwa Ibom State. Udo-Udoma sat silently through the drama, his hands folded on his chest. Again, Brigidi seconded Mbata's motion and Udo-Udoma became the new Senate Majority Whip.
The Sergeant-at-Arms moved towards Oyofo, picked up his papers and headed towards the back of the chambers. Without prompting and a motion, Wabara raised his gavel and adjourned the Senate until next week.
In his office, gloom was on the faces of Oyofo's aides. But he said that because there was no division, it was wrong to conclude that no senator voted against the motion to remove him, "it was a South-South affair," he insisted, adding that those who shouted "Aye" were Senators from his geopolitical zone.
On suggestions that his opposition to the Minimum Corporate Social Responsibility Bill on Tuesday was responsible for his removal, Oyofo said that he would be proved right when the reworked bill was brought back.
Last Tuesday, Senator Ibiapuye Martyns-Yellowe had brought the bill to amend the Petroleum Act, CAP 350 LFN to replace the ad hoc memoranda of understanding which oil companies are forced into by their host communities.
The bill would compel the oil companies to establish administrative head offices in their areas of operations so that they would be close to their host communities and pay taxes to these states.
Furthermore, the bill seeks to legislate on a realistic and equitable allocation of employment and business opportunities to indigenes of host communities and host states in a manner that all unskilled labour and contracts are left for indigenes of the host council areas. The bill also wants 50 per cent of semi-skilled jobs and contracts reserved for indigenes of the host state.
Oyofo opposed the bill and advised that it be reworked and brought back.
Other senators told The Guardian that there had been other grudges against him by the caucus members in the last one year. "His opposition to the Bill on Tuesday was just the last straw," a senator said on phone last night.
Contributing to the debate, Professor Jibril Aminu (PDP, Adamawa), raised the issue of whether a principal officer of the legislature could be removed by a zonal group while James Manager (PDP-Delta) said although he signed the letter, he did not endorse the second one appointing Udo-Udoma to replace him.
The letter to effect the change was signed by Brigidi, John Braimbaifa, Bob Ekarika, Udo-Udoma, Martyns-Yellowe, Victor Ndoma-Egba, Effiong Bob and Bassey Ewa-Henshaw.
Others were Daisy Danjuma, Manager, Azuta-Mbata, Rufus Spiff and Ledogo Maeba.
Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday stood down till Tuesday the second reading of two bills on amendment of the country's labour laws.
The Trade Union Act (Amendment) Bill, 2004 and Trade Disputes (Essential Services) Act (Amendment) Bill 2004 were sponsored by Sarki Tarida and Martyns-Yellowe.
Seconding the motion for standing down moved by Daniel Saror (ANPP-Benue), Olorunnimbe Mamora (AD-Lagos) expressed surprise at the appearance of the bills in the order paper without putting senators on notice.
The Senate also passed for third reading, the Power Sector Reform Bill, 2004 which seeks the establishment of companies to take over the functions, assets and liabilities of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).
Presenting the report of the Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, its chairman, Arthur Nzeribe, said the bill sought to set up the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and provide for licences for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.
Also yesterday, Wabara read out a letter from President Olusegun Obasanjo requesting the Senate to stand down consideration of proposed amendment to Money Laundering Act, 2004.
According to Obasanjo, the bill would portray Nigeria as "unserious" after the recent granting of a clean bill of health to the country by the International Finance Task Force.
