ABUJA- The N2.3 billion car saga rocking the House of Representatives yesterday took another dimension with calls for Speaker Dimeji Bankole to step aside to allow for investigation but his press aides say it is a ploy to destabilize the House.
The groups, Coaliton Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) and Zero Corruption Coalition, said, when they stormed the National Assembly yesterday, that the present case which involved the present leadership under Speaker Bankole is akin to that of former Speaker, Patricia Etteh.
According to a hand bill signed by CACOL head of Abuja office, Che Oyinatumba, “this present crop of leaders in the House rode in on the label of integrity, claiming to be righteous and above the murky waters that drowned Mrs Olubunmi Etteh, the first female Speaker in Nigeria.
“Bankole should not be a judge in his matter. He should step aside while the probe commences.”
Before Etteh’s sack over allegations of N628 million houses’ renovation scandal, calls for her to step aside made the rounds
To reinforce their agitation, the groups embarked on a protest march from Total Filling Station, Area 11 to the headquarters of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where they claimed to have petitioned the anti-graft body over the matter.
Chairman of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, confirmed the action of the groups, adding that complaints were also made to management of National Assembly to question Bankole’s continued stay in office.
Ahead of the march, Leader of Zero Corruption Coalition, Awal Rafinjani, who participated in the exercise, was alleged to have sought the participation of certain persons and groups in a text message.
Bankole’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Bakare, who got the message ahead of the exercise, asked those who got the text to ignore it.
Another group, Coalition for Stable Democracy, however in a flier circulated in Abuja accused six members of the House as fuelling the crisis.
According to the document titled: ‘Beware of these men’, the group gave the names of the lawmakers as Independence Ogunewe, Festus Adegoke, Solomon Ahwinahwin, Austin Nwachukwu, Gbenga Oduwaiye and Kayode Amusan.
But in a telephone reaction, Ogunewe said, “I have no response to faceless people on fliers that are not signed.
“It is not an issue. I am very sure that the fliers didn’t emanate from any House member. I know my colleagues. They are honourable men and women. Whoever is behind this, I wish him well.”
Another strange text message was also churned out by a faceless person to members of the House and some journalists in National Assembly.
The message sent through 08051162622, is believed to be backed by pro Bankole group. It threatened to clamp down on the National Assembly if members continue to hold on to the power probe report.
“Are the Senators not lawmakers and Nigerians? The President is using you for ethnic cleansing. We give you till Wednesday 5 to discard the power report or we bring down the National Assembly complex to rubbles on November 6,” it read.
In a reaction, the House Chairman on Media and Public Affairs, Eseme Eyiboh described the threat to clamp down on the complex as empty.
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