Executive Bills: APC Senators Complying With Party's Directive, Says Akume
SENATE MINORITY LEADER, SENATOR GEORGE AKUME n SAN FRANCISCO, January 30, (THEWILL) - The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate Caucus Thursday refuted media reports that APC Senators had flouted the party's directive to block all executive bills presented to the upper legislative chamber by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until rule of law is restored to rivers state.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, who made the clarification on behalf of the APC Senate Caucus, said in a statement that the members are still complying with the party's directive.
'APC Senators in acknowledgment of party supremacy and the patriotic nature of this directive are fully committed and determined to comply,' he said, adding 'If filibustering does not achieve the desired objective, the party shall resort to other democratic measures.
' The statement reads : 'The attention of the APC caucus of the Senate has been drawn to some media reports purporting that APC Senators have flouted the directive of the party on blocking of executive bills and to ensure legislative non-cooperation.
'This directive is a legitimate democratic tool aimed at restoring the rule of law and constitutionalism in Rivers State in order to save lives of Nigerian citizens.
These reports are misleading as they variously misconstrue the real intention of the APC directive and the action of the senators.
'The participation of the APC senators in the rigorous screening of the Service Chiefs and the debate on the general principles of the Appropriation Bill 2014 are in fact in compliance with the directive of the party.
The directive was not for Senators to boycott their legislative business; rather their participation will lead to the ultimate execution of the party directive.
'It needs reiterating that the Rivers crisis poses real threat to national security and has the potential to spillover to the other states if not appropriately contained.
The APC as a responsible party will not fold its hands and allow the nation to slide into anarchy.
APC's action is to forestall clearly preventable crisis that will put further stress on our military, which is already stretched to the limits in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency.
'Rivers State, which holds a large part of the oil wealth of Nigeria, enjoyed relative peace and tranquility until the deployment of Mr.
Mbu Joseph Mbu to the state as Commissioner of Police where he has virtually become the 'De facto Governor'.
A status the federal government has bestowed on him, thus stoking anarchy.
'Mbu has played this role with zest and impunity, being totally bias of the implications for national stability.
Today, the prevailing situation in Rivers State is best defined by the wanton abridgement of citizen's fundamental rights.
The Police locked Honourable Members of the State House of Assembly out of their chambers.
They disrupted a peaceful rally by the Save Rivers Movement (SRM) with brazen high handedness shooting a serving Senator of the Federal Republic, Senator Magnus Abe while wounding scores of others.
Citizens are recklessly arrested for belonging to the opposition party.
'Militants routinely demonstrate and threaten the Governor under the watch and cover of the Police.
Peaceful rallies in designated venues are violently disrupted by the Police and hired thugs while PDP supporters' block highways against the Governor with full compliment of Police protection.
'The leadership of the APC has at all times called the attention of the Presidency to these primitive acts of impunity without the latter doing anything.
This is apart from the countless resolutions that have been passed on this particular situation by the National Assembly, which the Presidency has treated with contemptuous ignominy.
'For those who claim that the APC directive is anti-people, our answer is that they should appeal to the Presidency who singularly holds the key to the resolution of this crisis.
The APC directive is conditional upon the restoration of normalcy in Rivers state.
A clear testimony that the Rivers crisis has been orchestrated by the Presidency emerged when ostensibly at his directive, the IGP deployed officers and men of the Police to provide security for the Save Rivers Movement (SRM) rally in Bori, Rivers State last Saturday.
Instead of addressing the matter in packets, the Presidency should provide a wholesale solution to the situation.
'APC Senators in acknowledgment of party supremacy and the patriotic nature of this directive are fully committed and determined to comply.
If filibustering does not achieve the desired objective, the party shall resort to other democratic measures.
'All well meaning Nigerians should rally their energies and patriotic fervour in every lawful way possible to stop the palpable and continuous degeneration of the country into a failed state status by the Jonathan government.
The APC observes with the pangs of pain the gruesome acts of misgovernance perpetuated by this government.
' There are very nationally embarrassing unanswered issues of corruption swirling around the government.
Consider the $10.
8 billion allegedly spent by the NNPC without appropriation.
This government allegedly spent N2.
6 trillion on fuel subsidy in 2011 when only N245 billion was appropriated for.
There is the unanswered issue of N32 billion Police pension fund scam and N5 billion-pension scam.
The Jonathan administration has unanswered issues on 24 million barrels of oil worth $1.
6 billion through signature forgery revealed by the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr.
Olusegun Aganga.
'This government has unanswered issues with the N53 billion NCC spectrum sale racket.
This government has huge issues to answer about waivers and concessions which run into the scandalous amounts of over N1.
4 trillion admitted by the Nigerian Customs which is far in disparity with the N171billion admitted by the Minister of finance, which itself is unacceptable.
'The industrial-scale theft of crude oil worth about $2 billion monthly is atrocious.
This government has an amorphous SURE-P program specifically designed to tunnel money into private pockets instead of utilizing the oil savings in the manner Late General Sani Abacha did through the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF).
There is the unanswered disappearance of $5 billion from the Excess Crude Account.
The Presidency's protection of members of his cabinet who have been found complicit in several issues of corruption is very worrisome indeed.
'Having brought the nation to the brink of a failed state, the 2014 Appropriation Bill as submitted by the Presidency is as bogus as the fuel subsidy regime.
Apart from being insensitive to the plight of the people in the face of the unacceptable poverty situation in the country the budget priorities are clearly misplaced.
'With these and many other acts of gross misconduct, the APC members in the National Assembly stand ready to activate its next line of action if the Presidency continues to perpetuate acts of impunity against the good people of Nigeria.
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