Water bill: There is no plan to impeach Gbajabiamila -Reps Northern Caucus

By Christiana Ekpa

The northern caucus in the House of Representatives has refuted a plot to commence impeachment process on the Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Recalled that a certain online platform had reported of a grand plot by the northern caucus to impeach the speaker in the event he failed to support the passage of the controversail water resources bill into law.

Also recalled that the bill which met stiff opposition and was later dropped in the 7th and 8th Assemblies was recently reintroduced by the Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Rep. Sada Soli.

Just like the 7th and 8th Assemblies backlashes had also trailed the reintroduction of the bill with many quarters of the country asking the lawmakers to once again jettison the proposed piece of legislation.

Briefing the Newsmen on Tuesday after the end of plenary, the chairman Northern caucus, Sarkin Adar  accompanied by the majority leader, Rep. Ado Doguwa, the minority leader, Rep. Ndidu Elumelu, the Chairman, Water Resources Committee, Rep. Sada Soli amongst other lawmakers said that publication was untrue and existed in the imagination of the news platform.

He said: “It’s a day of mixed feelings. I don’t know how to describe it whether I will say sad. In my opinion, it’s a sad day. At a time we should be talking of how to unify this country to move forward together to provide good leadership in this country, we are being dragged down by agent of destruction and destabilization.

“Let me say clearly what has been published that members of the northern origin are plotting to impeach the speaker is malicious, lies aimed at  planting a seed of discord amongst Nigerians. Anybody who follows the history lane in this country especially this 9th Assembly will know that Speaker Gbajabiamila enjoys the support of everyone of us including those that are not from the APC. From the beginning of his campaign, it was a joint task on nation building.

“If at this juncture somebody will insinuate that members of a particular region are plotting to impeach the speaker, that’s greatest disservice to this country and we should condemn it and shouldn’t allow it to go free.

“We call on the paper to retract that they have published and apologize to the national assembly, to the House of Representatives and to the members of the North. We feel aggrieved and betrayed.”

Also speaking, Rep. Sada Soli, the House Chairman, Committee on Water Resources said such report was based on ignorance.

“I can guarantee you all this reportage going on our papers were based on ignorance even for the basis of not passing the bill as a law in this country, please, I urge all journalists to pick that bill and read it just for pleasure. The bill is not Sada Soli’s bill. I was not in the 8th Assembly. I was in the 6th assembly. There were 4 water resources legislations in the water sector. The national water resource act, Nigerian institute for water resources, Kaduna, Nigeria hydrological service agency and Roger basin development authority act. Those are the 4 acts that regulate the national water resources. And this bill added what we called WASH: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene components because this is the global trend on the water sector. This is not intended to generate any acrimony. It’s not Sada Soli’s bill. I only happened to be the chairman, Water Resources Committee and I found the bill on the committee.”

In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata said that “whenever there is a bill, nobody has the power to impose anything on the House.”

In his contribution, the minority leader of the House, Elumelu however remarked that energy should not be dissipated on the Impeachment publication but focus on how to assist the government solve the issue of insecurity and get Nigerian students back to school even though he said that impeachment publication was false.

“I don’t think I should waste my time defending what is out there about Impeachment but in a simple language, there is nothing like any threat to impeach Mr. Speaker. Secondly, the issue of a bill or no bill hasn’t even been dropped before us on the floor for consideration. Thirdly, it also not true that there is any attempt to put in any supplementary order paper for us to consider bill. Mine is to see how we can support government to confront insecurity. Of course, you are aware what happened yesterday in Abuja along Bwari law school, Abuja. Those are the things we should focus on. I want Nigerians to be assured that the House is doing everything possible to support government that pass legislations that will help to secure Nigeria, Abuja and get our children back to school”, he said.

Giving a tone of finality to the issue, the Leader of the House, Hon. Ado Doguwa described the publication as mischievous and baseless.