Niger Govt Moves Against Senator
For slapping colleague
From Jide Orintunsin in Minna
If the pronouncement of the Niger State Government and the ruling party in the state, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are anything to go by, Senator Isa Mohammed may be on his way out of the National Assembly.
The Senator was alleged to have slapped his female colleague, Senate Committee chairman on state amd local government Administration, Senator Iyabode Anisulowo, on Wednesday over disagreement on committee funds.
In a joint press conference addressed by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Honourable Alhassan Jinkatoro, on behalf of the state government and Barrister Tanko Beji, the state PDP Secretary, the duo condemned the attack and dissociated both the state and the party from senator Mohammed's action.
The duo who spoke after a three and half hour crucial meeting at the government House, Minna yesterday, said that the government and the party had resolved to investigate the matter with a view to effecting necessary discipline on the lawmaker, whose action they described as unbecoming of a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Firing the first salvo, the Speaker said that the news of the attack on senator Anisulowo by her deputy, Senator Mohammed came as a rude shock to them, adding that the action saddened the heart of both the government and the people of the state.
Jikantoro said "the government and people of Niger State were sad to hear what happened in Abuja. We are sad that our member, who was sent to the senate to represent our people went on a shameful act. We hereby condemn the attack and the action"
The speaker who was visibly angry said that the state government will not take the attack kindly, "we don't condone indiscipline in this state, from any quarters. That is why we condemn the act of senator Isa Mohammed."
Unveiling plans for the likely recall of the embattled senator, the state secretary of PDP, Barrister Tanko Beji, said that the state executive of the party has approved plans by the Niger West senatorial zone of the party, where senator Mohammed represents, to commence investigation on the "disgraceful act" of their representative.
According to him, a formal letter written by the zone asking for the permission of the state headquarters of the party to allow the zone commence investigation and possibly impose necessary sanction on the erring senator was received on Saturday and has since been approved.
The letter, which was signed by the zonal chairman of the party, Alhaji Santali Abdullahi, also sought for permission to invite the lawmaker back for questioning. "The zone wants him (Senator Mohammed) to come and explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him, for the attack at the National Assembly on the senate committee chairman on local and state government Administration", he explained further.
Beji noted that like the state government, the party in the state detests the action of the senator. "We want to join the state government in condemning the senator's action and to disassociate ourselves from what he has done", he maintained.
Asked what may be the possible punishment if the senator was found guilty, Beji said, "the matter will be looked into at the zonal level, and if found guilty, it may earn the senator suspension from the party."
But when told that the accused lawmaker has denied slapping senator Anisulowo, the Speaker described Mohammed's denial as a face-saving move. "That was a self defence. The media, both print and electronic, carried and showed the awful act by our senator. Is it honourable for a Senator to act the way he acted?" he queried.
Senator Mohammed had in a statement in Abuja on Friday denied slapping senator Anisulowo, but admitted that there was a heated argument between the two of them over committee matters.
The statement which was circulated to newsmen at the National Assembly by his aide said, "I wish to state categorically that I did not slap senator Iyabo Anisulowo," but he admitted that when members of the committee gathered at the National Assembly to embark on an official assignment, "We had a heated argument over committee issues."
But this defence was faulted by the state PDP secretary, who wondered why a senator would engage his committee chairman on a verbal quarrel at the frontage of the National Assembly.
"We believe what our senator did was wrong. We have decided to call him, to come and explain and show as why disciplinary action should not be taken against him", Beji concluded,
Feelers from the meeting, said the Senator may not have a good case going by reports that were fed them by National Assembly members. But the state governor, Engineer Abdulkadir Kure, his deputy, Dr Shem Zagbayi, Nuhu the National Vice chairman of PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Mogaji, the speaker, PDP state secretary, some members of both National and state Assemblies, other elders of the party all of whom attended yesterday's meeting have concluded plans to send a high powered delegation to appeal to senator Anisulowo and the leadership of the senate over the matter.
The delegation led by Kure met with Senate Deputy President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, along with other principal officers of the upper chamber of the National Assembly yesterday in Abuja.
It will be recalled that Senator Mohammed got into trouble last Wednesday at the lobby of the National Assembly, Abuja when the chairman of Senate Committee on States and Local Government Administration, Senator Iyabode Anisulowo, accused him of slapping her following disagreement on the disbursement of the committee's funds.
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