Drama as Rep decries ‘incantations’ during House inauguration

Drama as Rep decries ‘incantations’ during House inauguration

 A member of the House of Representatives, Solomon Bob
(PDP/Rivers), has criticised his colleagues for reciting what he called
“spiritual incantations” during the election of the Speaker and the Deputy
Speaker of the House on Tuesday.

 

As the House was considering a motion of urgent public
importance by the outgoing Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the
plenary on Wednesday, Bob raised a point of order to decry how members-elect
made spiritual comments when the election was going on.

 

The 10th National Assembly was inaugurated on Tuesday during
which members-elect of the Senate and the House elected presiding officers of
the respective chambers before they were sworn in.

 

Bob said, “This point of order is pursuant to Section 10 of
our Constitution and Order 6, Rules 1 and 4 of our Standing Orders. Mr Speaker,
I watched with dismay yesterday, the conduct of our members who were prefacing
their requirement to vote with…”

 

The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, interjected him, saying,
“Honourable colleague, is your point of order relevant to this particular
motion or it is different?”

 

While Bob replied that “it is different,” the Speaker urged
him to allow the lawmakers to conclude the ongoing process. “Please, you may
sit down. Let us first of all adopt this particular motion and then you can
take your own later,” he said.

 

After Gbajabiamila’s motion was taken, Bob said, “I said I
watched with dismay yesterday as member-after-member rose and cited what I will
call religious incantations and prefacing their comments yesterday regarding
voting with religious incantations.

 

“We are enjoined not to adopt any state religion, by our
Constitution…Section 10. And we as key members of the government are not
allowed to espouse or encourage espousal of any religion or religious
approach…”

 

Abbas interjected again, saying, “Honourable colleague, I
will want to implore you to step down this particular issue to allow one
important issue to be done and then we can revisit it. If you can kindly do me
that favour, please step it down. I will call you later to re-present the
issue.”

 

Another member of the House, Fred Agbedi (PDP/Bayelsa),
screamed ‘point of order, Mr Speaker,” several times without Abbas recognising
him to speak.

 

Our correspondent observed that several members when called
upon to declare whom they were voting for among the three speakership
candidates, started by saying, “In the name of the Father, of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit,” or “Auzubillah Minashaitan Nirajeem,” with some adding,
“Bismillah Rahmani Rahim.” A member from Oyo State made his entire speech in
Yoruba to declare his vote for Abbas.

Source: Drama as Rep decries ‘incantations’ during House inauguration

 - NigerianEye

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