…..N’Assembly Joint Committee recommends maximum punishment for senator
By Kemi Yesufu
The Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege may yet be suspended for second time, if the Senate and House of Representative are to adopt the recommendations of its ad hoc joint committee probing the invasion of the Red Chamber and the theft of the Senate mace.
Frontline News Online exclusively gathered on Tuesday that the committee headed by Senate Deputy Majority Leader Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah and a member of the House from Rivers State, Rep. Betty Apiafi has concluded its investigation into the embarrassing episode-key among its recommendations being the suspension and possible prosecution of the Delta lawmaker.
Frontline News Online also learnt that the committee may lay its report in the Senate and the House on Wednesday and it most likely to retain the recommendation that Omo-Agege be suspended for 180 legislatives days.
Recall that Omo-Agege and former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume were summoned by the committee, even as presentations were made by representatives of security agencies stationed at the National Assembly.
While Ndume appeared before the committee and was granted permission to give his testimony behind closed doors, Omo-Agege told the panel that he had dragged it to court. He stated that it would be subjudice for him to speak on the matter.
Despite dragging the panel to court, it continued with its probe and sources say the Delta senator was indicted in the panel’s report, and its recommendations are hinged on Sections 14 and 15 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017.
According to the source, the committee was convinced that the National Assembly has powers to suspend Omo-Agege as stated in Section 14 of the Act, which also stipulates penalties for a member believed to have held a legislative house in contempt.
Section 14(2) of the Act reads : “Where a member commits a contempt of the Legislative House, the Legislative House may by resolution reprimand such person or suspend him from service of the Legislative House, without pay, for such a period as may be determined by the House, but not to the end of a legislative session”.
Section 15 states : “A suspended member of the Legislative House under Section 14(2) of this Act, shall not enter or remain within the Chamber or its precincts while the suspension remains in force. ”
“The National Assembly has powers to suspend a member and this is clearly stated in this Act and if you look through Sections 14 and 15, you will see that the committee had basis upon which it had made its recommendations”, the source said.
Omo-Agege was first suspended by the Senate for 90 days but a court subsequently nullified the action, directing that he should be allowed to resume. He was suspended in April following his comments at a press conference that the proposed amendment of the 2010 Electoral Act to change the sequence of elections set by INEC was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.
Despite apologizing on the floor of the Senate for his comments, the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges recommended his suspension for 181 legislative days. However, Senate President Bukola Saraki recommended its reduction to 90 legislative days.
After his suspension, thugs allegedly working for him invaded the Senate and made away with the Mace, the symbol of authority. Omo-Agege, denied any involvement with the incident. But Senate spokesman Senator Abdullahi Sabi, issued a statement, accusing Senator Omo-Agege of leading the assailants, who stole the Senate mace into the Red Chamber.
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