Group gives senate 48 hours to rescind Ali Ndume’s suspension

Some constituents of Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, have protested against the decision of the upper legislative chamber to suspend him.

This is just as a group called the Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) issued a 48-hour ultimatum to rescind the suspension or face legal action.

On Wednesday, the upper legislative asked Ndume to stay off the red chamber for six months to serve as a disciplinary measure for “embarrassing” Bukola Saraki, senate president, and Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west.

Ndume had moved the motion for the probe of Saraki, who was accused of importing a vehicle with fake customs documents and Melaye, alleged to have forged his first degree certificate from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions had cleared Saraki and Melaye.

On Thursday, youth in Biu local government area staged a solidarity protest, saying the country had been held to ransom by a few people.

Junaid Maiva, one of the protesters, challenge President Muhammadu Buhari to take charge and not allow people make him “look helpless”.

“I am still wondering how some few individuals would hold Nigeria to ransom and it seems the president is helpless,” Maiva said.

“Mr President must now interfere with the affair of the senate. His I don’t care attitude towards the affairs of the senate is what is responsible for this.”

Buba Ten-Ten, another youth, described Ndume’s suspension as the height of injustice.

He expressed worry that Melaye had not be suspended his actions on the floor of the senate.

“Nigeria and the world are watching this. These set of people holding Nigeria to ransom should know that they have only 17 months left,” he said.

“We are yet to know how Ndume went wrong. What is his crime? The senate ethics committee did not suspend Dino who harassed his co-colleague on the floor of the house. They did not also suspend him for calling our senator a Boko Haram sponsor.

“This is the height of injustice, we therefore call on President Buhari to stand up and defend our senator who has done nothing wrong. The north-east is suffering from the strangulating insurgency and our only hope who has stood firmly to defend his people is Senator Ndume. We say no to this madness.”

On his part, Muhammad Midala, said though he was not celebrating Ndume’s suspension, this development should serve as a lesson.

“I have always told him the truth but he feels we don’t know anything. In 2011, my life was threatened over my support for Ndume. They even offered me N15 million when I was his political associate but I refused,” he said

“After his election he made me to write a list of some physically-challenged persons from our constituency but he refused to help them. Now see what is happening to him. I am not celebrating, but this should serve as a lesson to him.”

 

Source: The Cable