• Lawmakers insist on C’ttee action
By Christiana Ekpa and Ikechukwu Okaforadi
Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (APC-Delta) yesterday apologized to the senate over the comments he made on the amendment of the Electoral Act, in which he said the action of the National Assembly was targeted at President Muhammad Buhari.
This was even as the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary apparently rejected the apology by the embattled senator, insisting that the committee must finish it work and report back to the senate.
The Senate had on Tuesday, directed its committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate Omo-Agege “for alleging that the National Assembly’s amendment of sequence of 2019 general election was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The directive was sequel to the adoption of a Point of Order by Sen. Dino Melaye (Kogi-APC) on the matter.
In his apology, Omo-Agege said “I was not here, my colleague, Sen. Dino Melaye brought a motion under privileges, orders 14 and 15.
“That motion arose as a consequent of a debate on the sequence of the election on the Electoral Act as amended which was passed to the Senate on Wednesday last week.
“Mr President, in the course of that debate, and subsequent debate, I did address the press on the matter.
“Mr President there were certain remarks that I made in the course of that press interview which my attention has been drawn to. It is offensive not just to Sen. Dino Melaye but indeed to the entire Senate.
“Mr President, I rise today to apologise to the leadership and the entire senate for that remark. Indeed, Mr President, I take it back”, Omo-Agege said.
In his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu said “my view is that it takes courage for a man to say he is sorry. So distinguished colleagues, in the circumstance, especially so when the matter had been referred to the committee, what I suggest is that the committee should quickly meet with you (Omo-Agege) and be able to have this matter.
“Let us get the report as quickly as possible so that we will be able to take a decision,” Ekweremadu said.
Meanwhile, the committee had been given two weeks to submit its report.
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