ABUJA —THE Senate pressed ahead, yesterday, in its agitation for the dismissal of Federal Capital Minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, from office with a threat to suspend all legislative dealings with President Olusegun Obasanjo until the president acted on its decision. At the end of a closed door session, the Senate brushed aside a second but more conciliatory letter from President Obasanjo in which he vowed to defend the institution of the Senate which Mallam el-Rufai allegedly denigrated.
“The Senate has decided not to go back on its words. We are resolute, we are determined, we will not blink, we will see to the end of this matter because what we are trying to do is to save the institution for which we represent today,” Senator Ike Ekweremandu, chairman of the three-man Media Committee constituted to articulate the Senate’s position on the matter to the media and the public, declared yesterday. The committee will address the press again today to reveal details of the report of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts which first indicted the minister.
A second committee, comprising Senators Jonathan Zwingina, Uche Chukwumerije and Olurunimbe Mamora, was also constituted yesterday to articulate the Senate position to the president. The Senate’s latest action came against the background of an unconfirmed report that President Obasanjo had rejected a resignation offer from Mallam el-Rufai. The embattled minister who on Wednesday evening “stumbled” into a caucus meeting of South-South senators, was reportedly apologetic over the matter and was quoted to have offered private explanations that the issue was overblown by the media.
Authoritative presidency said yesterday that the president had decided to keep faith with the minister for now to enable him (Obasanjo) have him (el-Rufai) around to respond to the issues raised in the report of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts which questioned some of his actions.
The Senate had last Tuesday given President Obasanjo a 48-hour ultimatum to sack the minister to protest his denigrating response to the report of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts which indicted him for financial misdemanour. He was quoted as saying that “silence is the best answer to a fool.”
When the Senate reconvened at noon yesterday at the end of the ultimatum, Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara, read out a second letter from President Obasanjo in which he promised to look into allegations of impropriety levelled at Mallam el-Rufai by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts. Following the reading letter, Senate leader, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, moved that the Senate rshould hold a closed session to discuss the issue. That motion was seriously objected to by several senators who chorused No! No! and his motion had to be helped by a plea by Senator Wabara who said that it was customary for the Senate to discuss such issues in closed session. In the voting that followed, majority of the senators supported an open session but the Senate president ruled otherwise.
During the nearly 100 minutes closed door session, sources said Senators remained adamant, insisting that the minister must go because having come thus far, the president had the option of choosing between the minister and the National Assembly. To drive home their point, the senators who were scheduled to suspend plenary sessions for four weeks to enable them supervise projects undertaken in the 2004 budget, decided to shelve the supervisory visits to government projects and reconvene next Tuesday for further actions. They also pledged to suspend consideration of all executive bills in the Senate and attend to only private member bills.
Speaking at the end of the closed door session, Senator Ekweremandu, chairman of the Media Liaison Committee on the matter, pledged that the Senate would stand on its resolution to enable it protect the institution of the Senate. Noting the quality of men and women in the Senate, he said: “You have those who have been governors, who have been vice-chancellors of federal universities, some have distinguished themselves as administrators, those that have served this country in various fields, and today one minister seeks to rubbish those records.
It must be emphasized that the Senate has decided not to go back on its words. We are resolute, we are determined, we will not blink, we will see to the end of this matter because what we are trying to do is to save the institution which we represent today. Every Senator in this Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria represents an approximate of one million people and a totality of 120 million to 140 million Nigerians and, therefore, to insult the institution, you are insulting the entire Nigeria and therefore we will not accept this as a body and as an institution representing our people.
“We have decided, therefore, to get to the root of the matter to ensure that the minister is relieved of his job as a lesson to everybody that we mean what we say. We are prepared to go the whole length on this matter. We will as a matter of fact continue to discuss, continue to cooperate with the executive arm of government to ensure that this country is going forward. This is a decision we have taken. We will not confront the Federal Government, we will not confront the President, we will give all maximum cooperation to ensure that he delivers to the people of Nigeria.
“But on account of our matter with the FCT minister, we are determined to save our integrity, to save our name and to ensure that Nigeria continues to respect their elders. This is a value we inherited from our forebears and we will continue to maintain this and hand them over to the generation after us.”
Obasanjo's letter
The letter from President Obasanjo dated September 2, 2004 and addressed to the Senate President, read:“I write to acknowledge receipt of your letter NASS/S/1017/VOL.X/83 of August 31, 2004 entitled: Complaint Against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory –– Mallam Nasir El-Rufai –– and to thank you for your letter.
“In considering your letter, I note two aspects –– the constitutional function of the Senate through its Committee on Public Accounts, and the unsavoury and unwarranted language of the said minister against the Senators.
“The Report of the Committee on Public Accounts has got to my hand and I want to assure the Senate that appropriate corrective actions will be taken. In my capacity as the President of Nigeria, I have responsibility, among others, to protect the integrity of the Senate, the National Assembly and all democratic institutions to nurture and strengthen our fledgling democracy.
In this regard, I take serious view of the language of the said minster as I earlier reflected in my letter of August 31, 2004. May I also hereby request you and the Distinguished Senate for greater understanding, patience and time for me to consider all the implications of this issue to enable me take appropriate action on your resolution.
“Please accept, Mr. Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.”
