The Inspector General of Police, Sulieman Aba has insisted that it is wrong to address Aminu Tambuwal, as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The police boss simply addressed him as “Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal”, a title that provoked members of the House Committee on Police Affairs.
According to the IG, it would be “subjudice” for him to address Tambuwal as speaker or any matter relating to him so long as such a matter was in court.
Chairman of the House committee, Mr. Usman Bello-Kurmo, asked him a direct question, “Is Aminu Waziri-Tambuwal the Speaker of the House of Representatives or not?”
The IG replied, “Mr. Chairman, you know that matters before the courts are subjudice.
“Commenting on them is subjudice until they are disposed of.”
This, however, brought the session between Abba and the committee to an abrupt end, as the two parties stormed out of the venue.
The committee, acting on a House resolution, had summoned Abba to explain why the police shut the gates of the National Assembly against lawmakers on Thursday last week.
During the shutout, Tambuwal and many lawmakers were barred from entering by the police, resulting in violent reactions by the members.
However, speaking on what transpired last week, the IG justified the police action.
He maintained that all those the police restrained from entering the National Assembly were “thugs.”
Rather than admitting that his men threw tear gas canisters at lawmakers, he claimed that “a tear gas canister exploded.”
Abba also told lawmakers to their faces that it was his men who suffered physical assault and not the lawmakers.
He said, “The police management and particularly my own person, I was traumatised by what I saw happened to police officers that day.
“What happened was unprecedented worldwide; policemen were physically beaten and disobeyed, among other things that happened.”
He claimed that the police shut the National Assembly for security reasons after the Force Headquarters received intelligence that Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and All Progressives Congress supporters were going to attack the legislature and other public offices on November 20.
According to him, a day earlier on the 19th, the “leadership” of the APC, Amaechi and party members had blocked the Force Headquarters in Abuja, “where they made uncomplimentary statements and threatened to do worse (things) in the days ahead.”
Among the places he claimed would have been attacked by the APC members and Amaechi were the Presidential Villa and the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He added, “The procedure was orderly until the arrival of Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and his men with quite a number of suspected thugs to disrupt the security arrangements.
“Unfortunately, a tear gas canister exploded at the gate; the situation is unfortunate and it is being investigated.”
Two members of the committtee, Hakeem Munir and Victor Nwokolo, asked him to retract his earlier comment and address Tambuwal with his official title, but Abba refused.
With members threatening to walk out of the meeting if Abba would not recognise Tambuwal as the Speaker, Bello-Kurmo called off the session abruptly.
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This, however, brought the session between Abba and the committee to an abrupt end, as the two parties stormed out of the venue.
The committee, acting on a House resolution, had summoned Abba to explain why the police shut the gates of the National Assembly against lawmakers on Thursday last week.
During the shutout, Tambuwal and many lawmakers were barred from entering by the police, resulting in violent reactions by the members.
However, speaking on what transpired last week, the IG justified the police action.
He maintained that all those the police restrained from entering the National Assembly were “thugs.”
Rather than admitting that his men threw tear gas canisters at lawmakers, he claimed that “a tear gas canister exploded.”
Abba also told lawmakers to their faces that it was his men who suffered physical assault and not the lawmakers.
He said, “The police management and particularly my own person, I was traumatised by what I saw happened to police officers that day.
“What happened was unprecedented worldwide; policemen were physically beaten and disobeyed, among other things that happened.”
He claimed that the police shut the National Assembly for security reasons after the Force Headquarters received intelligence that Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and All Progressives Congress supporters were going to attack the legislature and other public offices on November 20.
According to him, a day earlier on the 19th, the “leadership” of the APC, Amaechi and party members had blocked the Force Headquarters in Abuja, “where they made uncomplimentary statements and threatened to do worse (things) in the days ahead.”
Among the places he claimed would have been attacked by the APC members and Amaechi were the Presidential Villa and the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He added, “The procedure was orderly until the arrival of Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and his men with quite a number of suspected thugs to disrupt the security arrangements.
“Unfortunately, a tear gas canister exploded at the gate; the situation is unfortunate and it is being investigated.”
Two members of the committtee, Hakeem Munir and Victor Nwokolo, asked him to retract his earlier comment and address Tambuwal with his official title, but Abba refused.
With members threatening to walk out of the meeting if Abba would not recognise Tambuwal as the Speaker, Bello-Kurmo called off the session abruptly.
The former President said the greatest problem any government could create for itself is by constantly trying to destroy oppositions from all quarters. He said that such constant attack on those with opposing views was an attempt to destroy democracy.
“Management of democracy without resorting to brute force and dictatorial tendencies must be cultivated,’’ Obasanjo said.
“As a leader, you must not deliberately do evil or condone evil. You should know that you will one day give account to God, you may cover up here, but before God, there is no cover up.”
On national security, Mr. Obasanjo said Boko Haram was not out to “frustrate anyone’s political efforts” asserting that that it took Jonathan several years to understand the demands of the insurgents.
Obasanjor who also spoke on corruption said corruption chiefly starts from the top and that “when the head is rotten, the whole body is useless”
He also blamed the present government for not saying exactly the true state of the country’s economy even as it dwindles on a daily basis. He said; “is not truly what the economy is. The economy is in doldrums, if not in reverse,” he said.
DAILY POST recalls that the former President and President Jonathan have recently been engaged in verbal attacks after Obasanjo rated the present administration below average.
However, Jonathan in his reaction through his Political Adviser, Doyin Okupe said Jonathan’s government remains the best since Nigeria secured independence from Britain in 1960.
