|
el
el-Rufai at Senate, begs for pardon
�Denies �Gmg� role
�Lawmakers wait on Obasanjo
LOOKING sober
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, appeared
before the Senate yesterday, begged the lawmakers for forgiveness, assuring the
Upper House that he would guard his tongue in future.
But the Senate which was not categorical
on its stand on the minister�s apology, said however, that any action now would
be pre-emptive of whatever steps President Olusegun Obasanjo would want to take
on the matter. He denied influencing the senators with Ghana Must Go bags
or bribe to plead his case.
Mallam el-Rufai, who was ushered into the
Senate Chamber at about 1.05 p.m. yesterday by the Presidential Adviser on
National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa said: "I did not mean what
I have said and I don�t mean to refer to this Senate.
"But even if I mean it to refer to any
person, it was an inappropriate statement," he said.
The minister who reportedly called the
senators fools, told the lawmakers yesterday that he was sorry for such comment.
"I made a mistake and I am sorry. I feel
particularly pained that the President of this country had to intervene on my
behalf and apologise to you (Senate).
"The President of this country had already
expressed my deep regret for any discomfort or embarrassment that I have caused
to all the members of the National Assembly and indeed, all Nigerians that felt
disappointed by my conduct."
"I would like to say that I apologise
again and that I will endeavour to be more patient," he added.
Responding to the question of Senate
President Adolphus Wabara on whether any senator approached him for financial
inducement (GMG) to secure his freedom, the minister declared that he only got
advice from the likes of Senator Jibril Aminu to guard his tongues.
Wabara: "But just for records, you know we
politicians are very busy noctural human beings and in the night anything can
happen, we want to know from you, minister, while you were visiting my
colleagues, were there anything like Ghana Must Go (GMG)?"
El-Rufai: "Mr. President I met many
senators during the day as well as in the night and I got very strong words of
advice from many of them, and I apologised and there was no Ghana Must Go."
What I got from many of the senators was their anger on my statement and I got
strong words of advice from some of my elder brothers.
Addressing correspondents, Chairman
ad-hoc Committee on Press, Senator Ike Ekweremadu however, said the Senate
would not act on the minister�s apology until President Obasanjo takes a
definite position on the matter.
According to him "it will be �prejudicial�
for the Senate to take a decision on the apology when the President had asked
for more time to enable him take position on the issue. Until we hear from the
President we cannot take decision on the minister�s apology."
Senator Wabara had in a remark at the end
of the minister�s apology, promised that the Upper House will look at the
apology.
The Senate President however saluted the courage of the
minister, who was at the Senate Chamber at his instance yesterday to formally
apologise to the senators for calling them fools.
|
