The House of Representatives leadership yesterday averted an outright confrontation with members amid allegations that it withheld approval for more funds that would raise members’ quarterly allowance to N42 million.
Anxiety rose at Tuesday’s sitting, which was the first to be held after allegations that lawmakers asked for a new allowance package were made public.
Up we go
Members, according to sources who were part of the House closed-door meeting two weeks ago, tried to convince their leadership on why the current N27.2 million allowance they receive every four months, needs to be reviewed upwards..
Short of funds apart from that appropriated for allowances, lawmakers understand the implication and have encouraged the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, to go ahead and draw funds from other sources to the tune of N15.1 billion.
Mr. Bankole, according to sources close to him, is uncomfortable with the suggestion and has withheld his assent even after he orally agreed with the members.
However, he and his deputy, Usman Nafada, face an impeachment threat if they fail, the sources say.
But the House spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh, who heads the committee on Media, denied the reports, saying the Speaker has no such powers to unilaterally raise pay, and so cannot be expected to do same.
Yesterday’s plenary was the first after the reports became public.
The notion gained fillip when Mr. Bankole failed to show up at the sitting, and Mr. Nafada had to conduct proceedings.
After preliminary procedures, Independence Ogunewe, a member representing Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State, claimed his privilege as a lawmaker had been breached, and said he could only disclose his worry if Mr. Nafada ordered a closed-door session.
“What I am talking about, affects me, affects you and affects other members, it is not for the public,” he told said.
Targeting the Speaker
Mr. Nafada however insisted that the matter be discussed openly. “Go ahead and say it, say it, or you meet me in my office,” he said repeatedly, rejecting the option of an executive session, and pushing the session into a row that lasted more than 15 minutes.
Both lawmakers were then approached by colleagues, who prevailed on them to resolve the issue peacefully.
Sources indicate that Mr. Nafada’s effort against the closed-door sitting was in furtherance of an alternative belief that the agitation for new allowances, when made open and available to the media, would be severely weakened.
However, Mr. Ogunlewe finally apologised to the Deputy Speaker, who subsequently ordered for an executive session that lasted for more than one and a half hour.
