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Why I slapped colleague--
Female Rep
•Gets one week suspension
COSMAS EKPUNOBI and ABIODUN ADELAJA,
Abuja
THE female member of the House of
Representatives, Honourable Iquo Minima Inyang (Akwa Ibom) who on Wednesday
slapped her committee chairman, Honourable Emmanuel Bwacha, yesterday explained
that she took the action following an alleged uncomplimentary remark on her by
the latter.
Besides, she said, she was emotionally distressed because of
her father’s recent death even as Hon. Bwacha, who said he has forgiven her,
denied insulting Inyang, his deputy (on the Police Affairs Committee), alleging
that she rejected a tour scheduled assigning her to a part of the country and
subsequently hit him in frustration when her demand for reversal was refused.
However, the physical assault has landed
Inyang in troubled waters as the House yesterday handed the lawmaker a one week
suspension and ordered the Committee on Privileges and Ethics to further
investigate the matter even as female lawmakers in the country who had early,
yesterday morning, stormed House Speaker, Aminu Masari’s office called for
punishment to Hon. Inyang.
Victim of an earlier slapping incident in
the National Assembly, Senator, Iyabo Anisulowo, who reacted to the latest
incident, sought to know the background to the matter, pointing out that it was
"abnormal" for a female legislator to slap her committee chairman.
Anisulowo also spoke on the allegation by
the Senate Committee on Business and Rules that she abused her position as
chairman, Committee on States and Local Government Affairs by misappropriating
committee funds, declared that the said money (N707,000) was duly approved by
Senate President, Adolphus Wabara and so was not done secretly.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja why she slapped
her boss, Hon. Inyang claimed she was overwhelmed by the shock arising from her
father’s sudden death when Hon. Bwacha allegedly made the remarks which provoked
her into dazing him with the slap.
It would be recalled that blood stained
Bwacha’s eye balls moments after the slap landed.
But, Hon. Bwacha insisted he did not
insult the grief-stricken lawmaker but was merely asserting his authority as
chairman of the Committee on Police Affairs in drawing a tour schedule over
which the female legislator attacked him.
Said he: "I have forgiven her like I had
said. But I think it is good we put the records straight. She went to the United
States to bring her father’s corpse. She wasn’t here.
"Now, at the committee level, we had
concluded plans to travel. Because some Muslim members of the committee appealed
to us that it is Ramadan period and they will not put in their best, so
we should shift the tour until after Sallah. So we agreed and postponed
the tour.
"Otherwise the tour would have commenced
last Sunday. Now when she came back, I told her "you were not around. This was
what we did. We envisaged that since you are bereaved that it will not be
possible for you to join us."
"I even asked her, ‘tell me the date of
the burial of your father so that we can all join you’. She asked me where she
was going to be posted to. She initially requested to be posted to the North
East and I said. ‘Good, we will agree with somebody who is heading that team...’
"Much later she said No, I should post her
to the South South, to an oil producing state. I said No, I am not going to post
you there, because me and you will go to the northern part. I have already
assigned people to go there (South South).’
"But she refused; she said she must go
there and I said as I remain the chairman of this committee...’ You see, why I
am making this narration is to let the records be clear because people are
talking about culture, culture. I don’t know what they mean.
"I come from a very decent tradition, and
I have a refined culture. I think there was nothing I said that would have
offended somebody’s culture. I said ‘no, I am not posting you there. As long as
I remain chairman of this committee you will not be posted there simplicita.’
And then she slapped me.
"I do not know whether saying that I am
not going to post you somewhere’ has anything to do with my culture. What has
that got to do with my culture? So, nothing at all I said could dent somebody’s
culture, maybe like this claim is alien to my culture. You don’t say a thing
like this in my own land. No, that was not what happened."
Hon. Inyang who spoke after Bwacha’s
comments, however, claimed that the committee chairman’s statement was a partial
account of what transpired claiming she was actually maligned.
She said: "Well, he has stated part of
what transpired that day. And we all know that for us to be members of the
National Assembly, we must first be proven of sound mind. And for somebody to
behave off-hand, we must all as reasonable people know that something must have
chipped off the handle."
"My chairman referred to me as that type.
I am not going into details to tell you the type that do certain things. And I
certainly felt that it was very derogatory and as far as I have come to this
National Assembly, people have known me, this is my second tenure in this place.
"I have conducted myself with utmost
decorum. I do not think that even my worst enemies will fault me on that. And I
think he was trying to put me in that light. There were people there.
"But I am really sorry about what happened
and with having to just come from the mortuary; I was the closet person to my
dad in my family. My reflexes just snapped. I apologise for that and that is
exactly what happened."
Both lawmakers are expected to appear
before the House Committee on Privileges and Ethics which would commence probe
into the circumstances that led to the incident.
But deliberating on the incident in the
House, the Chief Whip Hon. Bawa Bwari, who formally brought the issue to the
notice of the chamber in session, canvassed a three weeks suspension for Hon.
Inyang for slapping her colleague.
He also demanded that a probe into the
circumstances that led to the action be conducted by the Committee on Privileges
and Ethics.
However, owing to plea for leniency from
members, the House later, through a majority voice vote, commuted the sanction
to one week suspension, but referred further investigation into the matter to
the Committee on Privileges and Ethics.
Contributing to a debate on the matter,
House Leader, Hon. Abdul Ningi commended Hon. Bwacha for comporting himself in
the face of the assault.
His words: "Mr. Speaker, I urge this
honourable House to put on record Hon. Bwacha’s comportment when this incident
happened. In fact, he is a man among men. Since this incident happened, I had
interacted with our colleagues and about 70 per cent told me that they would
have retaliated."
Meanwhile, the House would next week
commence debate on a code of ethics designed to stem the tide of violent
behaviour among federal lawmakers.
Also briefing journalists, Senator
Anisulowo demanded to know what prompted Inyang to embark on the physical course
of action against her committee chairman.
Addressing Senate correspondents
yesterday, the tough talking female senator said that it was abnormal for a
female lawmaker to have slapped her committee chairman.
Although Senator Anisulowo described the
clash between Inyang and Bwacha as unfortunate, she, however, insisted on
knowing the circumstances that led to the slapping of Hon. Bwacha.
Anisulowo, who also reacted to the
position of the Senate Committee on Business and Rules which accused her of
fraud, denied the charge.
Senator Anisulowo said she had the
permission of the Senate President to dip hand into the committee’s fund,
adding, however, that her deputy, Senator Isa Mohammed, has no power to make any
withdrawal from the committee fund without her approval.
Senator Anisulowo was said to have taken
N707,000 as loan from the committee to enable her attend the Inter-Parliamentary
Union (IPU) in Geneva.
But Senator Isa Tsauri, Chairman Senate
Committee on Business and Rules, said it was illegal for Senator Anisulowo or
any other committee chairman to borrowe committee money for any assignment other
than committee function.
Senator Anisulowo defending said her
action was not done in secret, adding that the leadership was aware of same.
Meanwhile, before the punishment meted to
Hon. Inyang the caucus of Nigerian Women legislators, an umbrella organisation
of female lawmakers across the country, had urged the House to promptly enact a
code of conduct that would regulate public actions of federal lawmakers.
The caucus on a visit to the Speaker,
Alhaji Aminu Masari, in the wake of an assault on Hon. Bwacha, urged the
parliament to expedite action on enactment of the code to stem the tide of
violent behaviour in the National Assembly.
Condemining the action of Hon. Inyang,
chairman of the caucus, Hon. Saudatu Sani called for sanctions against the
federal lawmaker from Akwa Ibom State.
"On October 19th, this caucus paid a
similar visit to the Honourable Speaker, House of Representatives and the
President of the Senate to condemn the action of Senator Isa Mohammed against
Senator Anisulowo and also called on the presiding officers to urgently
discipline Senator Isa Mohammed and also ensure the immediate enactment of codes
of conduct in both chambers."
"I am sure, sir, Hon Iquo Inyang is not
confirming the saying that what a man can do, a woman can do even better," Hon.
Sani stressed.
Responding, Alhaji Masari who described
the action as "disgraceful, un-parliamentary and shocking," said the chamber
would not spare Hon. Inyang if found guilty in the episode.
He implored law makers to ensure that they comport
themselves publicly irrespective of the level of provocation, adding that
leadership should lead by example.
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