Lawmakers bribing for positions, ‘democracy is no longer there,’ he laments
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Ranking and new lawmakers in the incoming National Assembly (NASS) are already paying bribe to get posts even as the new leadership will not be inaugurated until June when the current one expires, Senator Ali Ndume, has alerted.
He made the disclosure on Channels Television where he also said he would have won his run for Senate President in 2019 if he had money to by his way.
Ndume (APC, Borno South), who has been in the NASS for 20 years, pushed for an “Unexplained Wealth Act” to deal with corrupt politicians with suspicious wealth.
“There should be Unexplained Wealth Act so that if you display wealth that is not in tandem with your income, you should be investigated and (the wealth) confiscated and if it is extensive, you should be prosecuted,” he canvassed.
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State capture by ‘kleptocrats and plutocrats’
“Now, you can see what is happening, they are trying to buy the position. The position in the leadership of this country is becoming those that belong to kleptocrats and plutocrats. Democracy is no longer there,” Ndume lamented.
“They are buying it already. Didn’t you [hear] the accusation that they are sharing money? And I was even thinking in the last election, ‘if I had more money, I would have won.’ I don’t have money.”
The APC won the majority of NASS seats in this year’s election with more than 50 out of 109 seats, and more than 160 out of 360 House of Representatives seats.
Ranking and greenhorn APC lawmakers have expressed interest in highly coveted positions in the Red and Green Chambers – among them Orji Kalu, Jibrin Barau, Godswill Akpabio, Dave Umahi, Ahmad Lawan, Abdulaziz Yari, Osita Izunaso.