08.23.2006

The officers are to appear before the Senate tomorrow even as the legislative body issued a similar summons to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu, to give it a comprehensive report on the commission’s state of preparedness for the 2007 general elections.

No date has, however, been fixed for Iwu’s appearance.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), told reporters after yesterday’s plenary that the commission’s boss would be engaged after Ehindero and Areh had appeared before the Senate.

The decision by the Senate to summon the trio stemmed from the welcome address by the President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani, entitled: “Providing Leadership in Difficult Times,” to the members who resumed yesterday from a six-week recess.

Shortly after the address, the Senate Leader, Senator Dalhatu Tafida, supported by the Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Daniel Saror, moved the motion that Ehindero, Areh and Iwu be summoned before the house.

The resolution was also reinforced by another motion listed in the day’s order paper, and brought by seven senators led by Ndoma-Egba, pursuant to the Senate Standing Rules 42 and 45 on matters of urgent public importance on the spate of assassinations in the country.
The other sponsors of the motion moved by Ndoma-Egba and seconded by Senator Jonathan Zwingina, were Senator Dalhatu Tafida, Senator Effiong Bob, Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and Senator Olorunnibe Mamora.

Prior to the reading of the motion, the Senate had voted on the suggestion by its president in his speech that it should invite Ehindero and Are to appear before it for a comprehensive briefing on what they are doing and the progress they have so far made in the investigations of recent political assassinations.

The Senate president said, “In the past weeks, villains and assassins have attempted to take the clock of democracy backwards (as) democratic gains recorded are suddenly being turned to democratic deficits.

“While the senate was on recess, Engineer Funso Williams and Dr. Ayo Daramola, governorship aspirants in Lagos and Ekiti States respectively, were murdered in gruesome and cold blooded manner.
“The death of these political stalwarts at this moment compounds fears about 2007. The Senate sends condolences to the families of these illustrious Nigerians for their losses and we pray that God will grant them the grace to bear the losses”.

Nnamani said that the murders had raised the barometer of violence in Nigerian politics, expressing the hope that the country was not back to the beaten path of electoral violence. “We hope that this wanton destruction of life is not an evil sign of a bleak election year,” he stated,

He said Nigerians desired free, fair and credible polls in 2007, but warned that this could not be achieved if hired killers were allowed to operate freely. “I commend the quick response of the Nigeria Police to these gruesome murders,” Nnamani said.

On the issue of 2007 polls, he suggested that the Senate should resolve to request INEC chairman to appear before it to apprise it of the difficulties and challenges that the commission was facing as well as acquaint the house with its strategy to ensure free, fair and credible elections.

Said the Senate president: “In addition, we may resolve to mandate the Senate Committee on INEC, working alone or in conjunction with the House Committee on INEC, to hold periodic meetings and dialogues with the INEC and other relevant agencies and civil society groups to ensure that preparations for the elections are firmly on track”.

Nnamani said further, “Our anxiety about the 2007 elections and commitment to ensure free polls in Nigeria is bona fide, and in keeping with out legislative mandate under the constitution
“Having appropriated funds for the INEC and passed a new electoral law to streamline electoral processes in Nigeria, it will be gross dereliction of our collective responsibility as legislators if we do not take seriously the anxiety daily expressed by Nigerians on the state of preparedness of INEC to conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2007”.

In line with the motion moved by the senate leader on the basis of the speech by the senate president, the house proceeded to endorse four out of the six prayers contained in the motion moved by Senator Ndoma-Egba and six other members.

The most significant of the prayers was the summoning of the IG and the DG, SSS, after Senators Zwingina, Uche Chukwumerije, Kassim Victor Oyofo and Saidu Danssadau, among others, had contributed to the motion, for them to appear before the house to explain the reasons behind the rising wave of political assassinations.