There is a set to be a clash of the titans between the Presidency and the Senate over an alleged attempt by the Presidency to rubbish the person of the senate president.
Senators in Sakari's camp are accusing the Presidency of instigating the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Anastacia Nwaobia, not to honour an invitation by the upper chamber. Nwaobia had communicated to the Senate that she could not honour its invitation without an approval by her supervisors to do so but the Saraki loyalists said the Senate had the constitutional power to invite Nwaobia and that her refusal constituted an affront to the legitimacy of the senate president.
The Saraki loyalists’ belief lies on the alleged ‘non-acceptance’ of his presidency by the All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari. The Saraki group said the ‘offending’ permanent secretary failed to honour the Senate’s invitation because she did not get clearance from the Presidency. It was learnt that senators loyal to the Senate President were angry that the Presidency could encourage the civil servants to disobey the Senate.
When the permanent secretary did not honour the invitation, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, wrote another letter to her the same day, restating the invitation. The permanent secretary was said to have sent a text message to the Senate, explaining why she could not come.
A source in the ministry stated based on civil service procedures, it would be wrong for the permanent secretary to honour the invitation without first getting the approval of the Head of Service of the Federation. The source said since the permanent secretary reports directly to the HoS and not the Senate, it would amount to a breach of protocol for her to appear before the lawmakers without getting the consent of the HoS. But to pro-Saraki loyalists, such explanation did not hold waters.
But Lawan’s supporters in the Senate, under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum, supported Nwaobia’s shunning of the Senate invitation.
The group, in a statement by its spokesman, Senator Kabir Marafa, yesterday, said that since Saraki had allegedly violated some sections of the Constitution to emerge as senate president, he could not accuse another person of committing the same offence.
The senator said, “I read with open mouth amazement, the letter written by both the Chief of Staff to the Senate President and that of the Clerk to the National Assembly on the refusal or inability of a government functionary to honour the invitation of the “leadership” of the senate.
“They were saying the refusal violates section 67(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Can somebody please tell them that they are guilty of similar, if not higher offence? “They, in fact, not only violated the Constitution to ascend to the Senate leadership, they murdered it.”
Marafa alleged that the leadership and management of the National Assembly, “murdered section 60 of the Constitution that gives the Senate, and not any individual or group of persons, the powers to conduct the business of the Senate on the 9th of June 2015 using the forged document”
He also alleged that the Saraki group violated section 65 (2b) of the Constitution that “recognises the supremacy of the political party in favour of the unmentioned, unrecognised and unknown zonal caucuses.” He alleged that Saraki violated Order 3(2) of the Senate standing order 2011, as amended, which he said put ranking above all other considerations in nominating senators to serve as presiding or principal officers of the Senate and it’s committees.
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