February 13, 2010
Convinced that the just concluded trip by some members of the Federal House of Representatives to Saudi Arabia to ascertain the true medical condition of the ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was a failure and a waste of tax payers’ scarce resources, Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has asked the leadership of the Federal House of Representatives to immediately apologise to Nigerians for this monumental deceit and refund to the public treasury through the Central Bank of Nigeria the total costs of the fruitless journey.
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Specifically, the Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, was the first ever non-governmental organization in Nigeria to demand that the ailing President who has stayed out of office illegally for more than three Months on medical ground be declared missing and that a search party be set up to ascertain the whereabouts of the President. The group had suggested that the search team be made up of a medical team together with political and civil society leaders to also verify the health condition of the President and determine whether he can go ahead with his Presidential duties on his return from hospital or whether he is incapacitated and should therefore transfer power permanently to his Vice President. The Federal House of Representatives adopted some aspects of the recommendation of HURIWA which was widely publicized.
Besides, the Federal House of Representatives set up a six member team to be led by the deputy House leader Baba Sheu Agaie which travelled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and spent a week without setting their eyes on the ailing President because the Wife of the President Turai Yar’adua reportedly stopped them from gaining access to the President Umaru Musa Yar’adua said to be convalescing at a secluded wing of the King Faisal Hospital said to be reserved for only the royal family of Saudi Arabia. The only woman member of the six member search team to Saudi Arabia from the lower legislative chamber Nnena Ukeje alleged that she was sidelined and left back in Nigeria even when other members jetted out on the unsuccessful trip.
Reacting to the unsuccessful trip by the legislators to Saudi Arabia, HURIWA through its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko demanded the refund of the expenses wasted on what it called ‘unnecessary and inherently meaningless voyage of discovery’ by the Federal House of Representatives just as it called on the Speaker of the lower chamber of the National Assembly to tender immediate apology to the generality of Nigerians who had raised their voices in unison to condemn the fruitless trip which was wholly unconstitutional and not originally meant to achieve a constitutionally approved resolution of the leadership vacuum which was created for a long time by the prolonged absence of President Yar’adua without transmitting power to his Vice Good Luck Jonathan in line with section 145 of the 1999 constitution prior to the elevation through a resolution of the National Assembly of the Vice President to the position of acting President.
HURIWA stated thus; ‘’ on behalf of the members of the Human Rights community in Nigeria, we demand that the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole and the entire leadership of the lower legislative chamber to immediately refund the generous expenses wasted in the trip embarked upon by some members of the Federal House of Representatives on behalf of the House to ascertain the whereabouts of the ailing President particularly because that was not the solution to the leadership vacuum that Nigerians clamoured for. Nigerians from all walks of life had consistently clamoured that the ailing President be made to transmit a letter to the two chambers of the National Assembly praying that Presidential powers be transferred to the Vice President in his absence pending his return from treatment for heart related complications and if he fails to do so, the medical team be set up by the National Assembly in line with constitutional provisions to verify the health status of the President and recommend whether he is incapacitated after which a removal process could commence.’’
HURIWA criticized the Federal House of Representatives for accepting to play to the gallery by not setting up a fit and proper search party made up of credible statesmen and women including a medical team and representatives of the civil society to verify the true health status of the ailing President but rather chose a group of five members to go on ‘merry-go-round meaningless trip’ to Saudi Arabia which has not produced the desired result and ended up becoming another drain pipe for the mismanagement of public funds.
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Specifically, the Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, was the first ever non-governmental organization in Nigeria to demand that the ailing President who has stayed out of office illegally for more than three Months on medical ground be declared missing and that a search party be set up to ascertain the whereabouts of the President. The group had suggested that the search team be made up of a medical team together with political and civil society leaders to also verify the health condition of the President and determine whether he can go ahead with his Presidential duties on his return from hospital or whether he is incapacitated and should therefore transfer power permanently to his Vice President. The Federal House of Representatives adopted some aspects of the recommendation of HURIWA which was widely publicized.
Besides, the Federal House of Representatives set up a six member team to be led by the deputy House leader Baba Sheu Agaie which travelled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and spent a week without setting their eyes on the ailing President because the Wife of the President Turai Yar’adua reportedly stopped them from gaining access to the President Umaru Musa Yar’adua said to be convalescing at a secluded wing of the King Faisal Hospital said to be reserved for only the royal family of Saudi Arabia. The only woman member of the six member search team to Saudi Arabia from the lower legislative chamber Nnena Ukeje alleged that she was sidelined and left back in Nigeria even when other members jetted out on the unsuccessful trip.
Reacting to the unsuccessful trip by the legislators to Saudi Arabia, HURIWA through its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko demanded the refund of the expenses wasted on what it called ‘unnecessary and inherently meaningless voyage of discovery’ by the Federal House of Representatives just as it called on the Speaker of the lower chamber of the National Assembly to tender immediate apology to the generality of Nigerians who had raised their voices in unison to condemn the fruitless trip which was wholly unconstitutional and not originally meant to achieve a constitutionally approved resolution of the leadership vacuum which was created for a long time by the prolonged absence of President Yar’adua without transmitting power to his Vice Good Luck Jonathan in line with section 145 of the 1999 constitution prior to the elevation through a resolution of the National Assembly of the Vice President to the position of acting President.
HURIWA stated thus; ‘’ on behalf of the members of the Human Rights community in Nigeria, we demand that the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole and the entire leadership of the lower legislative chamber to immediately refund the generous expenses wasted in the trip embarked upon by some members of the Federal House of Representatives on behalf of the House to ascertain the whereabouts of the ailing President particularly because that was not the solution to the leadership vacuum that Nigerians clamoured for. Nigerians from all walks of life had consistently clamoured that the ailing President be made to transmit a letter to the two chambers of the National Assembly praying that Presidential powers be transferred to the Vice President in his absence pending his return from treatment for heart related complications and if he fails to do so, the medical team be set up by the National Assembly in line with constitutional provisions to verify the health status of the President and recommend whether he is incapacitated after which a removal process could commence.’’
HURIWA criticized the Federal House of Representatives for accepting to play to the gallery by not setting up a fit and proper search party made up of credible statesmen and women including a medical team and representatives of the civil society to verify the true health status of the ailing President but rather chose a group of five members to go on ‘merry-go-round meaningless trip’ to Saudi Arabia which has not produced the desired result and ended up becoming another drain pipe for the mismanagement of public funds.
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