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* Shadow election for Speaker pro-tempore fails
* Labour, Police disagree on protest
From John-Abba Ogbodo and
Collins Olayinka (Abuja)
FOR the second time in one week, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed in its bid to stop the crisis rocking the House of Representatives over the N628 million contracts for the renovation of the residences of the Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, and the Deputy Speaker, Babangida Nguroje. The negotiating team could not also arrive at a common ground for the emergence of a Speaker pro-tempore.
The PDP delegation led by its Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Olabode George started a meeting with the representatives of the Speaker and the opposition under the aegis of Integrity Group at about 2.30 p.m. at the Conference Hall of the party's national secretariat yesterday, trying to work out a way out of the logjam.
But as at 3.45 p.m. when they rose, there was still no agreement. The Guardian learnt that while the PDP delegation was to prepare soft landing for Etteh, the opposition stood their ground that she must go.
Also yesterday, organised Labour insisted that even without a police permit, it would go ahead with its planned march to the National Assembly complex today. But the police have declared it as illegal.
Midway into the meeting, it was learnt George suggested that since the PDP wanted the matter resolved amicably, there was a need for the party's caucus in the House to conduct a shadow election and agree on the choice of the Speaker pro-tempore so that there would be no rancour on the floor of the House when the members would pick the acting Speaker. The position was allegedly rejected by the opposition. The representatives of the Integrity Group were said to have insisted that there was no need for such procedure and that they should be allowed to conduct the election based on the rules of the chamber.
When it appeared that the party was holding to the position, a member of the delegation from the Integrity Group, Emmanuel Jimeh, ran down to meet some of the members of the group waiting in the premises to alert them that they might go for a shadow election at the secretariat. This piece of information triggered reactions from the group. Some of them vowed not to allow the exercise hold at the secretariat, threatening to abort the plan.
Despite the conflicting positions, some members on both sides of the divide started making frantic calls to their colleagues, who were not there to run down to the secretariat in preparation for the election. Some members from the Southwest mentioned to be warming up for Etteh's job, namely Dave Salako, Wole Oke, Bankole Dimeji and Kayode Amusan were spotted making consultations among members.
Inside the conference room down stairs where the lawmakers were waiting for the meeting to begin, consultations were held over who should be the popular choice for the position of Speaker pro-tempore. It was in the heat of this that the Majority Leader of the House, Tunde Akogun, came to announce that the meeting was inconclusive and would continue today at 9.00 a.m. This announcement threw the hall into rowdiness as some members shouted "no, no".
After the meeting, the chairman of the Integrity Group, Farouk Lawan, said the number of lawmakers present at the PDP secretariat was less than half of the members of the party in the House and they felt that it would not be proper to take any decision on the matter. He, however, said that the position of the group that the Speaker must step aside had not changed. "We felt that the number of members present was not up to half of the PDP members in the House and therefore, it will not be proper for us to take any serious decision on the matter without having them around," Lawan said.
Asked whether the group would attend today's meeting, Lawan said they would meet last night to agree on what to do. A member from Edo State, Patrick Obayagbon said the party would want to influence the choice of the Speaker pro-tempore hence the resort to delay tactics.
"The party will want to see how the Speaker pro tempore would emerge and that is why this is happening but we will follow our rules and do the proper thing", he said.
The Guardian learnt yesterday that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua had asked members from Katsina State to maintain neutrality over the choice of the interim Speaker. His action came on the heels of speculations that the Speaker pro-tempore might emerge from the North. A member from the state, who spoke to The Guardian on condition of anonymity, said that a member from Katsina, Sada Soli had been mentioned for the job.
Meanwhile, a member of the pro-Etteh group, who went to court asking that members should be stopped from telling the Speaker to step aside, Melaye Dino said the action was to clarify matters.
Relatedly, a group under the umbrella of Oodua Youth Leaders Forum led by the president, Afolabi Adeboye, yesterday called on the Speaker to step down and "allow for emergence of Speaker pro tempore as provided for in the rules of the House". The group also called on PDP to stop supporting the Speaker.
Former Speakers of the House of Representatives, Umar Ghali Na'Aba and Aminu Bello Masari engaged all members of the house in a crucial meeting at the Sheraton Hotels last night to try to resolve the contract crisis.
At the venue of the meeting, pro and anti-Etteh groups used the opportunity of the gathering to campaign and lobby members to tow their respective line of thoughts and actions.
Meanwhile, the Integrity Group has vowed not to attend another meeting called by the PDP leadership for today. A member of the group, Lynda Ekpeazu who spoke to reporters said the group would move to the House Chamber to do what is right.
Also, a member representing Gokana Federal Constituency in Rivers State has, in a petition, called on both the EFCC and ICPC to step in to investigate the house contract scandal and lay the matter to rest once and for all.
But the police, who have warned against the protest, say that Labour has not met the requirements for holding the demonstration.
However, officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) insisted yesterday that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and civil society groups would join them to hold the protest as planned.
The workers' action is to protest the continued stay of Etteh in office. Etteh, Nguroje and other principal officers of the House were indicted by the David Idoko panel, which probed the scam.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, in its opposition to the demonstration, said that Labour had not complied with the requirements of the Public Order Act.
The Guardian learnt that the FCT Police Commissioner, John Haruna had told the NLC that the Federal Government would not allow any demonstration within the National Assembly complex today.
But the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Olaitan Oyerinde told The Guardian yesterday in Abuja, that the President of the Congress, Abdulwaheed Omar, who is expected to cut his trip to China and his TUC counterpart, Peter Esele, would lead the march.
The NLC delegation has been meeting with the Chinese All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACTU).
Oyerinde added that protesters would converge at the Labour House despite the opposition from the Police who have refused permit for the march on the ground that they could not guarantee the safety of life and property during the exercise.
Haruna reportedly told the NLC Acting President, Ladi Iliya that the Federal Government would not allow any demonstration within the confines of the National Assembly today.
Questioning the rationale behind the prohibition of public procession within the National Assembly complex, NLC officials argued that the so-called Public Order Act had been long voided by the Supreme Court and wondered where the Police got its power to disallow the march.
Labour insisted that under the Nigerian Constitution, it has right to protest any unfriendly policy of not only the executive arm of government but any of the other two arms seen to be against the wellbeing of Nigerians. The workers added that they have the moral right to put pressure on members of the Lower House to do that which was right.
Labour maintained that the continued stay of Etteh in office would make the House unfit to serve the interest of Nigerians and endanger democracy in the country.
The Guardian further learnt that the Integrity Group may join the anti-Etteh protest.
Some human rights groups and professional organisations are also expected to join the exercise.
The two central labour bodies reaffirmed their resolve to sustain the agitation against the Speaker well beyond today's protest.
They were also unanimous in their resolve to relentlessly wage war against corruption, which they noted retards development.
The unions urged the Federal Government and the Police not to interfere with the action, as doing so would portray President Yar'Adua's administration as not only condoning corruption but also providing safe haven for its perpetrators.
Guardian Newspapers Limited
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