Doris Ferdinand
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Ahmed Idris Wase, Thursday, halted a colleague’s motion of urgent public importance.
The Federal Lawmaker, Hon. Solomon Bob (PDP-River State) in a motion (matter of urgent public importance) he brought under Order 6(1&2), the lawmaker decried a statement by Attorney General of Federation, Abubakar Malami on channels television.
Malami, while interacting with Channel’s television correspondent on Wednesday, refferred the open grazing ban by southern governors to a spare part business.
He had said the decision to ban open grazing in the region was equivalent to prohibiting spare parts trading in the northern part of the country.
Solomon unequivocally condemned Malami’s statement, noting the danger of such statement at this injurious time where the security of the nation is fragile.
He also said the statement is irresponsible loaded with ethnic sentiment.
“Part of my duty as a member of this house is to call the attention not just to the penalty of legislation but to call the attention to such matters, actions, utterances of public officers that are likely to endanger the oneness and the well-being of this country.
“I’m saying this with regards to the utterance of Attorney General Abubakar Malami yesterday on channels television.
“The utterance to the effect that he tries to to draw analogy between the proposed ban of open grazing to spare part business and he tried again to suggest that the proposed ban amounts to an infringement in section 41 of the Constitution which talks about the freedom of movement.
“Those two arguments are injurious, irresponsible to say the least with due respect to him and unfortunate. Proposed open grazing ban to compare it with spare part business. It is incendiary and loaded with ethnic slur. we don’t need that now.” Solomon lamented.
However, the Deputy Speaker reacting to the motion said it was not brought in line with the house rules and halts further deliberation of the motion.
He said: “I want to tell you in all honesty, what you are now bringing has nothing to do with that. Let us not be introducing things that you know.., you are a lawyer. You are free to come with any motion regarding what has been mentioned that you feel it is not right. But you can’t come under this point of law and order.
“You can’t come under this point of Order. It is not in line with the House rules. Please take your seat.” Wase said.
