Protesters at National Assembly are enemies of democracy – Senators

Protesters at the National Assembly gate

Lawmakers at the upper chamber of the National Assembly have reacted to the protest staged at the assembly by members of the Citizens’ Action to Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN) on Tuesday.

The senators described the protesters as not just enemies of progress but also enemies of democracy.

Members of CATBAN had earlier gathered at the main gate of the National Assembly to demand the immediate resignation of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

The group accused members of the National Assembly of siphoning funds meant for constituency projects in their various constituencies. It also frowned against “budget padding” and ‘illegal insertions” in the 2018 budget.

The convener of the group, Ibraheem Wala, also said the leaders of the National Assembly (Saraki and Dogara) lack the moral capacity to hold positions in authority. He also called demanded that the Federal Government put an end to allocation of funds for constituency projects.

Barnabas Gemade (APC, Benue) raised a point of order with regards to the protest.

Mr Gemade asked that the Senate ignore calls for an end to constituency projects, stating that it is the only way constituents know that they are being represented by their representatives.

He said the federal government should rather expand the magnitude of the constituency projects.

In his remark, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, described the protesters as “protest contractors” and that protesters do it as a result of unemployment and poverty.

“Rising from this, some people have found a way of surviving. One way of surviving in Abuja is to organise protest. There are people considered as protest contractors.

“What is happening is that some people go to government officials or governors who they believe are opposed to the National Assembly and collected a N1500 each for number of protesters and when they organise these young people, they pay them only N500 as in the case of today to come protest in the front of National Assembly.”

Mr Ekweremadu, who also described the protest as embarrassing, said constituency projects in his constituency “is working.”

“I challenge anybody who says it’s not working to come with any contradiction of what I am saying that constituency projects in my senatorial district has been implemented as allocations were released. There is no abuse whatsoever. I challenge anyone who feels it has been abused to come up with evidence of such.

“Any person who is opposed to the projects of our various constituencies, I consider the person as an enemy of the people,” he said.

He said he would never be distracted by the protest and urged the lawmakers to be focused. He said no amount of blackmail or intimidation should stop the implementation of constituency projects.

“I admit like every other thing in life, it is being abused in some places and by some people but that is not to suggest that the benefits outnumbers some of the issues we have raised. If anybody has any particular evidence of the abuse of constituency projects, the Senate and indeed the National Assembly is prepared to deal with it.

“But to say that constituency projects should be discontinued, I believe that is the height of insensitivity to the part of our people. So whoever is collecting money to come to the National Assembly to come and oppose the issue of constituency projects, that is not going to happen.”

Also reacting to the protest, Isa Misau (APC, Bauchi Central) said the demonstration was organised by a serving minister.

“It is a product of a sitting government. These two people trying to paint the image of the National Assembly black. They are doing this because there are certain people in the national assembly they want to bring down.

“I don’t know the people close to the president advising the president. I remember when the president was away for more than 100 days, the civil society organisation, media, they were pushing the National Assembly to form a medical team and make the president’s seat vacant so that there will be change of government,” he said.

He hailed Messrs Saraki and Dogara for standing firm and defending the president when he was not strong.

“Today, ironically, the same people are the people, close to the president, that Mr President is taking more serious than the Senate President and the Speaker.

“A lot of money was to be used on the National Assembly to declare that seat vacant. These same people who were looking for the seat of Mr President are now the good boys around the president,” he said.

Mr Saraki, on his part, stressed that it is important to educate the public on the importance of these constituency projects and also “correct any misinformation that it is going into the hands of lawmakers.” He said the projects are “facilitated to ensure that there is a federal presence in every part of the country.”

“Before now there was no measure to ensure equitable representation of such projects in this country. The projects enable, unity equity and justice because if you have a constituency that you cannot find federal government project then there is injustice.

“Without it, you will find out that only heads of agencies put projects in their own area – how can you justify constituencies without projects?,” he said.

He said people are taking advantage of the poverty in the country and what is saddening about it is that those who are doing it are those who are part of government.

“This does not help the unity of the arms of government. Mr President needs to investigate this and call to order – there is no secret in this. If you go out there those boys will tell you where they are collecting the money from, the minister giving them the money, the governor that is giving them the money and these are governors, ministers in the same ruling party.”

He stressed the need for such activities to stop. He said those showing, rascality and irresponsibility should be called to order because they are taking advantage of the young ones.

“If there something wrong with the implementation, it is the executive. We don’t award the contract, we don’t release the money. Those behind the protest should desist, we know who you are, it is not in the interest of the unity of this country,” he added.