November 1, 2008
The bastard child that was birthed as a consequence of the April 2007 “do-or-die” elections was on shocking display in Hearing Room 18 of the National Assembly on Wednesday 29 October 2008 when the House of Representatives’ Ethics and Privileges Committee attempted to conduct a public hearing into a petition brought before the House by one of Nigeria’s more vocal lawyers, Mr Festus Keyamo.
Mr Keyamo had written to the Speaker and the rest of the House in October 2008 to express his displeasure and pointed out possible act of corruption in the procurement of 380 Peugeot Cars for all Committee members of the House. Keyamo had alleged that the House was quoted and billed at N6.2million per car by Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN) which is a total of N2.3 billion. But what PAN eventually supplied were a different make of cars that were N5.1 million per car. The difference when VAT is added is about N539 million. And it seems the record shows that VAT was paid-for twice on the purchase because after the House paid the money to PAN, which of course was inclusive of VAT, it then raised a separate voucher paying VAT to the Federal Inland Revenue Service. Furthermore, the House got no discount on bulk purchase. The normal practice with PAN is a 10% discount when two or three vehicles are purchased in one transaction.
Initially, the House of Representatives had wanted to conduct a private hearing and invited Keyamo. He declined and insisted on a public hearing. The house agreed and mandated its Ethics and Privileges Committee to investigate. This Committee is chaired by Sani Saleh Minjibir. Others present at the hearing were his Deputy John Kalipa, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Yakubu Dogara, Warman Ogoriba, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, Mikhail Bmitosahi, Jerimon Manwe, Independence Ogunewe, Solomon Awinawhi, Emmanuel Orker-Jev, Garba Shehu Matazu, Fatai Akinderu, and Onyema Chukwuka Wilfred.
From the very onset, the Committee became belligerent and hostile – even though, strictly speaking, Keyamo was supposed to be its witness, helping them with their investigation. A Committee member, Yakubu Dogara (PDP Bauchi State and a lawyer) got the ball rolling by putting it to Keyamo that the documents he had been brandishing and which he submitted to the House on the purchase of the cars for Committee members were not authenticated. His grouse was that those same allegations were contained in a September 2008 publication by Newswatch magazine. Strange. Keyamo’s evidence on the contract included photocopies of cheques received in respect of the cars supplied by PAN and the price list. Keyamo stood his ground and refused to reveal his source.
This infuriated one of the other members, Ahmed Mustapha who wanted to know which part of the Constitution empowered Keyamo to obtain documents, and what gave him the audacity to write to Principal Officers of the House. It was very strange. The members of the Committee began talking in very angry voices and were shouting over each other.
The Chairman of the Committee interjected and tried to bring both sides to be civil. He cautioned his colleagues that they ought to be decorous in their remarks as being honourable members of the House does not confer on them the right to be derogatory to others. He was whistling in the wind and had spoken much too soon. His colleagues were just getting warmed up.
Parliamentary decorum and taciturn language was grabbed by the throat and hauled out the window of the Hearing Room. Rep War-man Ogoriba (PDP Bayelsa) was particularly incensed. He began shouting at Keyamo, calling him "Street boy!", then challenged "Who are you? Who are you?” “If you think you can come and play to the gallery here, you'll not succeed". Reps John Kalipa, Nnenna Ukeje, Jerimon Manwe, Onyema Chukwuka Wilfred soon joined Ogoriba in hurling angry abuses. Nnenna Ukeje who spots a pair of full and formidably rounded rosy cheeks kept squeaking in a painful monotone “this is conjecture,” “this is conjecture.” At well spaced intervals, she would throw about her papers and psychedelic eye glasses, stare at the cameras and try to look suitably bewildered. This lady would make a good Nollywood actress.
Keyamo flared up and despite the Committee Chairman striking his gavel several times to bring order to a malfeasance proceeding, chaos continued to reign. Jerimon Manwe (PDP Taraba, who listed his occupation on his NASS official web site as “Public Servant Business”) switched to Hausa language. In that language, he called Keyamo “Bastard” and “Idiot”. His colleagues tried to hush him. They did not succeed. He continued to curse in Hausa with ever bulging eyes.
Amidst such shameful conduct, the Committee Chairman had no choice but to end the proceeding. As Keyamo was dismissed to a chorus of lustful jeers from the Committee “honourable” members, he was forced to shout at the Committee that they must account to the Nigerian people. Wrong move. Reignited, Warman Ogoriba jumped up and began shouting “Criminal, criminal.” “Idiot.” “Street boy!” Some of (presumably) his staff who had become alarmed and fearful of his body language grabbed him and tried to calm him down. He shouted at them “I don’t care! I don’t care!” This man clearly missed his calling as a militant. Perhaps he is ruled by his first name. At the same time, quite impossibly, the cadence and pitch of Nnenna Ukeje’s squeaking actually went up. Shouts of: “You are stupid!” “Who are you?” “You’re a fool!” rented the air. Stunningly and deftly, Onyema Chukwuka Wilfred (PDP Anambra) who is a rather large man intercepted Keyamo at the exit. He stood in Keyamo's way and would not let him out. Furiously he jabbed his fingers in Keyamo’s face and continued to threaten him, bully-like, Mafia style, in full glare of the cameras and the public. It was surreal! These are our new breed “leaders.” The “principals” in our communities and society [sigh!]
Perhaps some of us spoke too soon about Bankole’s House of Representatives. Former Speaker, Etteh must be having a good laugh if she is able to put it all together. Of the 360 members of the House, a whopping 271 were elected during the do-or-die exercise of April 2007. What was on evidence on October 29 was inexperience borne on the wings of crass and shameful imbecility by people that should not have even smelt office as class monitors. Those people did not look or conduct themselves like Parliamentarians at all. They simply lack the wherewithal, cerebral and fortitude to carry the responsibility of the high office they now find themselves. What we see now is water finding its level.
It is quite surprising that the beneficiaries of the same Peugeot cars were the very ones conducting an investigation into a possible scam. I have always wondered whether our Legislators have the benefit of appropriate support resources like knowledgeable staff, information, and research facilities. I say this because in nine and half years of watching what unfolds at the National Assembly, I can honestly say that I have seen and heard better quality and well thought-out debates in Beer Parlours and Online forums. Lamentably, a poor standard is now getting even worse.
The Speaker, Bankole, would do well to immediately dissolve the Ethics and Privileges Committee and reconstitute a new one. They had in a very determined manner further dragged down the recently sagging image of the Bankole’s House. Bankole himself should in fact explain this whole sordid matter of vehicle procurement and the actual cost incurred. I thought he is the Administrative head of the House of Representatives.
When members of Parliament conduct themselves in such shocking manner in public, you have to wonder what they are really like when no one is watching. Without a doubt, the current members of the Ethics and Privileges Committee thoroughly rubbished themselves and came across as ill-bred.
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