Some protesters besieged the National Assembly on Tuesday to demand the resignation of Senate President Bukola Saraki over his trial for alleged false assets declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The protesters, who carried placards with inscriptions, ‘Suspend Saraki, not Marafa’, ‘Leave the Senate and face CCT trial’, and ‘Democracy survives on inclusiveness, not suspension’, warned the Senate against suspending Kabir Marafa, a senator representing Zamfara central, who has shown strong opposition to Saraki’s leadership.
Last Tuesday, the Senate directed its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate a report in which Marafa allegedly maligned the upper legislative chamber.
According to Isa Hamman Misau, Senator from Bauchi State, Marafa had, in an interview with the Punch newspaper on February 7, told lies against the Senate.
In the interview, Marafa concurred with former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s opinion that the National Assembly is corrupt. The Senator from Bauchi state expressed disappointment, saying that no lawmaker should be allowed to tarnish the image of the Senate.
He said that he struggled for 11 years to become a Senator, and that he would not allow anybody to soil his image. “I am a person who struggled very hard to be here. I think the leader has to do something about this,” he said.
“We cannot allow one person to continue to tell lies. Not only Marafa but anybody misleading the public.”
Also, Matthew Uroghide, Senator from Edo State, said that Marafa’s action was unacceptable and should not be treated with levity.
“It took 11 years for Senator Misau to get to the Senate; it took me 23 years. For one Senator to think and act in a manner that will reduce my person is totally unacceptable,” he said.
“If anyone has read that interview, you will know it is an issue that we must look at very dispassionately. There were things that have no basis. If anyone is there to misguide the public, it should not be at the expense of this chamber.”
After listening to the submissions, Saraki referred the matter to the committee, and directed it to submit its report within a week. The committee submitted its report on Tuesday.
-TheCable