The purported underground moves for the impeachment of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has been described as a joke taken too far by a pro-democracy group.
The group, Legislative Watchdog, said though it viewed a news report by an online news medium as a joke, it nevertheless felt there is a need to urgently put the joke to the abrupt end it deserves.
According to the group, in a statement on Tuesday by its spokesman, Olawale Adebayo, the news report is nothing but kite flying by those it described as enemies of progress, who are only after their selfish interests.
According to the group, reasons given in the report for the purported impeachment plot, are not only preposterous but equally childish.
“It is not just preposterous but childish for the proponents of the kite flying report to anchor the so-called impeachment plot on assumed high-handedness of the respected Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila or alleged disrespect for the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal.
“For those who are close to the House over which Gbajabiamila presides, from our findings and close interactions with members, the Speaker is no doubt one of the most democratic and fair minded persons to preside over the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
“It is on record that Speaker Gbajabiamila, against what others in the ruling party may want, accorded members of opposition parties more than enough recognition almost as equal partners in the legislative house, through membership and leadership of committees, assigning sensitive committees to them.
“Similarly, a thorough following of proceedings at the chamber will also reveal that Gbajabiamila has always accorded members of the opposition the right to have their say, even though the majority may always, as expected in any democratic setting, have their way.
“How more democratic would any sane person expect the Speaker to be. How even more laughable is the allegation of dictatorial tendency be in connection with the aborted plan for members to donate their one month salaries to the fight against COVID-19?
“We would have expected those engaged in kite flying for an impeachment to rather commend the Speaker for thinking about Nigerians in this critical period of our nation’s struggle for victory over the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since the beginning of the outbreak, Gbajabiamila has been in the forefront of calling for policies and actions geared towards making coping with the pandemic less traumatic for Nigerians.
“As a group, we believe that if there is any Nigerian who has shown compassion, concern and a patriotic disposition in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, the Speaker will surely be one. So accusing him of dictatorship because of a patriotic suggestion, as the news report suggested is not just callous but shows the profiteering and selfish mindsets of the promoters of the purported impeachment.”
Speaking further on the alleged disrespect for Governor Tambuwal, the group wondered when a position of the entire House as enunciated by the Charman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu amounted to disrespect for the former Speaker.
“Allegation of disrespect for Governor Tambuwal is laughable. How does the position of the entire House become the personal opinion or position of Gbajabiamila? How does a request for the exclusion of the Sokoto State Governor from a committee put in place by the Nigeria Governors Forum to interface with the House on the Infectious Diseases Bill 2020 become a ground for impeachment?
“In our estimation, the concocted allegations are only attempts by the proponents of the phantom impeachment to window shop for grounds to whip up sentiments against the Speaker. This, we say, have failed even before take off, as conscientious Nigerians can see through their woefully concocted lies.
“Though, as said above, Nigerians can see through these lies, we feel it’s our duty to call on Nigerians, especially members of the Green Chambers to disregard the news report and see it for what it is, a joke taken too far. We call on all members of the House of Representatives and Nigerians in general to see through the plot and put the joke to the abrupt end its deserves”, the group said.