Order of preference splits Reps
From John-Abba Ogbodo GUARDIAN | Feb.12.2010

THE House of Representatives was yesterday divided over a report of the chamber seeking to work out an order of preference for the three arms of government during public functions.

The report, which was submitted by the Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs headed by Leo Ogor representing Isoko Federal Constituency in Delta State, listed government functionaries and their positions in the country.

According to the report, the President is number-one citizen followed by the Vice President and the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

However, a disagreement came when the Deputy Senate President and the Deputy Speaker were mentioned to rank fifth and sixth respectively before the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

The Deputy Speaker, Usman Bayero Nafada, who chaired the House read out that the CJN was number-seven on the order of preference. Stanley Ohajiuruka from Abia State advised the House to ensure fairness since the three organs of government namely: the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary are involved. According to him, it would not be fair to have the Legislature occupying the third, fourth, fifth and sixth positions at the expense of the judiciary.

Ike Chinwo from Rivers State submitted that the Legislature is the beacon of democracy and should be given better accommodation in the order of preference but Femi Gbajabiamila from Lagos State countered that the three arms of government are equal and, therefore, the Judiciary should be given equal consideration as other arms of government.

When it became apparent that the House was not coming to a consensus on the matter, Nafada ruled that members should go for further consultation on the matter and continue the debate on another legislative day.

Another issue that also threw up controversy was the status of the former military heads of state. Some members argued that since they were not democratically elected, they should not be placed on the order of preference. It took the intervention of a member from Anambra State, C.I.D Maduabum, to restore order. He told the House that in the 1999 Constitution, former military heads of state are listed as members of the Council of State and should be recognised since the constitution has recognised them.

In another development, the chamber passed a resolution calling on all the states of the federation that are yet to pay their contributions to the funding of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd (NDPHC) to do so without further delay. Moving the motion, the Deputy Whip, Aminu Tambuwal, said it was unfortunate that despite the agreement between the states and Federal Government to fund the project so that the electricity situation in the country could improve, it was lamentable that some states were still foot-dragging on their contributions.

"The motion calls the attention of the House to prevail on the state governments that are in default in the contribution to the NDPHC to redeem their pledges. All the states in the country agreed to make contributions for steady electricity supply but as the situation is now, many states are in default. We should appeal to those states to redeem their pledges", he said.

He prayed the House to urge the executive arm of government to put in place a mechanism that would discourage such default, appeal to all the states still in default to make payment and as well urge state Houses of Assembly to carry out their oversight functions in this respect.

Without a dissenting voice, the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, put the question and it was carried.

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