There
was pandemonium in the National Assembly on Thursday
when armed security
personnel invaded the federal parliament and
locked out the senators and House of
Representatives members.
The convoy of the Senate President,
David Mark, who attempted to pass through the gate that links the National
Assembly from the State House, was delayed for about 30 minutes.
An obviously enraged Mark, after
gaining entry, openly confronted the Chief Security Officer of the National
Assembly to find out who invited the police since he, as the Chairman,
reserved the right to make such request.
The senate president met with his
principal officers, shortly after he was allowed to enter, he also held a brief
discussion with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Emeka
Ihedioha, who visited him over the development.
Mark left with Ihedioha to the lower
chamber when they were informed that the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal,
was already there.
Some angry House of Representatives
members, visibly angry over the treatment meted out on Tambuwal by security
operatives, shouted at Mark and Ihedioha, and blamed them for the woes that
befell the embattled speaker.
Mark went back to his office and
left moments after to the chamber where his colleagues were already protesting
their maltreatment by the security operatives.
Most of them said they were forced
to treck a distance of 200 metres from the main gate to the their offices
because they were not allowed to enter the premises with their vehicles.
Mark, at the resumption of plenary,
ordered the shut down of both chambers of the National Assembly over the
unfortunate development.
He said, Because of the
very unfortunate incident in the National Assembly this morning, I have
decided to shut down the National Assembly, both the Senate and House of
Representatives, until Tuesday next week.
We will also invite the
Inspector-General of Police (to appear before us) here on Tuesday, there
will be no business in the National Assembly today. It remains shut
till Tuesday ( next week).
He condemned the application of
maximum force on parliamentarians and civil servants who were in their
respective offices to do their duties.
Mark also hinted that the senate had
asked the service chiefs billed to appear before it on Thursday, to make it on
Tuesday next week as further deliberations on the emergency rule had been
suspended to the next legislative date.
Senators Ali Ndume, Olusola
Adeyeye and Ehigie Uzamere in an interview with journalists condemned the
development describing it as a clampdown on the parliament.
Source:Punch Newspaper.
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