ABUJA: Drama as Tinubu ‘takes over’ Ekweremadu’s seat

Senators who are members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party created an hilarious scene on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, when they stopped the member representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, from addressing the chamber from the seat of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

The drama ensued when the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, asked the wife of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress to second a motion moved by Senator Kabiru Gaya, who was seeking the approval of the red chamber for him to submit the report of his committee on the $200m foreign loan being sought by Lagos State.

Mrs. Tinubu was seated on Ekweremadu’s seat who was conspicuously absent from plenary when she was asked to second the motion.

However, no sooner than she put on the microphone on the seat of the deputy senate president than the PDP senators, protested against her action, and insisted that she should relocate to her seat to speak.

Attempt by Mrs. Tinubu to explain that she was on Ekweremadu’s seat because the microphone on her own seat was not working was rebuffed by the PDP senators.

She left angrily for her own seat and attempted to use her dysfunctional microphone to convince the PDP senators that she was speaking the truth.

Mrs. Tinubu then went to a seat close to hers, and sought the permission of her neighbour to make use of his microphone.

It was after she got the permission of the senator sitting beside her that she was able to address her colleagues.

She nevertheless returned to Ekweremadu’s seat and sat down there for over one hour the plenary lasted.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Wednesday inaugurated the Senate Committee on Appropriation and six other standing committees.

The committees and their chairmen included Appropriation, Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe Central); Finance, John Enoh (PDP-Rivers Central); Banking, Insurance and other financial institutions, Rafiu Ibrahim (APC-Kwara North); and the Independent National Electoral Commission, Abubakar Kyari (APC-Borno North).

Others are committees on Public Accounts, Andy Uba, (PDP-Anambra South); National Security and Intelligence, Sha’aba Lafiagi, (APC-Kwara North); and Communications, Gilbert Nnaji, (PDP-Enugu East).

Inaugurating the committees, Saraki urged the members to hit the ground running in view of the need to reposition the economy.

He urged them to be innovative in the discharge of their oversight functions.

He also advised them to observe ethical standards in the discharge of their duties, adding that any committee member found wanting would be adequately dealt with.

He said, “The Senate will continue to support the committees particularly in terms of funding. We are also assuring government institutions of our readiness to work with them in order to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.”

Saraki added that the Ad hoc Committee on Legislative Agenda would be charged with the responsibility of monitoring the performance of the committees.

He also charged the INEC committee to ensure that the gains of democracy were not eroded.

Source: THE PUNCH