The clash erupted after the speaker announced that the Order Paper for Thursday would be lightened to allow members to attend the official commissioning of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) permanent site.
Gbajabiamila
had also asked the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and
Business to ensure that the order paper is not clouded with the day’s
business so that the House can adjourn early enough for the event.
However,
the Deputy Speaker Idris Wase, who was angry with the announcement,
said the primary business of the House was lawmaking. He stated that the
commissioning of NILDS headquarters was not enough to adjourn the
House. He added that members willing to attend the commission could do
so while the business of the House is not disrupted.
Wase said;
“Mr
Speaker, I’m getting to see this is getting so funny and we have lost
quite a number of periods of time. For the commissioning of projects for
God’s sake! Why do we have to shelve a lot of activities that we have
just to go and witness the commissioning of a project of NILDS?
“I
want to beg, sir, that we should do our functions. Those who have the
interest to go, they have the right to. But our main primary function in
this parliament is to make law and our citizens should be our
priority.”
Gbajabiamila who responded to this
said “Perhaps, DS, you don’t appreciate the importance of NILDS like
some of us do. I think NILDS is very important.” However, the Deputy
Speaker interjected, saying “I have every information and idea of what
NILDS is!”
The Speaker further stated, “It was
set up by this same institution by statute. We are not adjourning the
House to go to NILDS; what I said was, ‘let’s try and make it light and
leave here by two.’ If you want, we can resume by 10(am). We will do our
work but we will adjourn this House at 2pm. I will witness the NILDS
(event) because it is important to me.”
Rising again, Wase replied the Speaker, “The parliament is about us, not about ‘I.’”
Shocked
by the Deputy Speaker’s outburst, Gbajabiamila said, “Mr Deputy
Speaker, this is the first time in history…I have been in this House for
many years, perhaps even longer than anybody here…this is the first
time in history that a Deputy Speaker will be challenging what the
Speaker is saying.”
Wase fired back, “I don’t understand what you mean by challenging, sir. That I should not make my contribution?”
Turning
to the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Gbajabiamila
said: “make the order paper light for tomorrow. This House will adjourn
at 2.00pm” while members present at plenary chorused “carried”.
The
Nation had reported that the endorsement of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas as
Speaker of the 10th House has created a sharp division between the
Speaker and his Deputy. It was also reported that Wase had openly
accused the Speaker of backing Tajudeen for the Speakership position.
The
clash is a strong indication that the relationship between the Speaker
and the Deputy Speaker of the House had gone from bad to worse. Insiders
have told some publications that Wase has been allegedly shunning
meetings and interactions with Gbajabiamila.
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