Abuja Security Scare: NASS Accuse Presidency Of Isolating Lawmakers

ABUJA, Oct, 19, (THEWILL) - The Senate today accused the Executive of not carrying it along in deciding to close access roads leading to the Three Arms Zone as a result of the security scare in Abuja.

The security scare was occasioned by the renewed threat of a second bomb attack in Abuja by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

Consequently, they advised that the Executive must henceforth start to carry other arms of government along in matters of such magnitude. Nonetheless, the Senate admitted that they all are undergoing a learning process and would get it right some day.

The closure caused traffic gridlock within the Abuja metropolis and caused serious distress to road users, workers and even members of the National Assembly who were billed to attend the public hearing for the second alteration of the 1999 constitution.

Briefing reporters on the issue, Senate's spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze, said he was not aware that the Executive informed the National Assembly of such security measures.

"I will not know if the National Assembly was notified, because it was not brought to my attention, but I think this is one of the problems we are confronting as an emerging democracy because ordinarily, one would expect that before that kind of action is taken, all branches are taken on board because it is a three arm government, it is not one arm government.

"I believe it is a learning process and ultimately we will get there but we need to begin to think of getting it right and getting it right means that we do the right things at the right time, because I know that I watched the scene in Russia where some armed people tried to take over the legislature, they moved in and crushed it quickly and everybody is going about their normal business. So we will not shut down Nigeria because of terrorists. I think that the President has assured us that they will work speedily to ensure that life gets back to normalcy.

"That information did not come to me, but we are making allowance for the fact that we are learning and you know that the Executive branch has always been the branch that have always been there. So the habit of taking every branch along will come gradually. There is no panic in Abuja. There is no cause for alarm", he said.