Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has explained his last week’s blockage of a petition by a group of American based Nigerians, saying that he acted based on House’s rules.
A member of the house, Mark Gbillah, had made moves to present a petition from the group; Mutual Union of Tiv in America (MUTA), but was prevented by Wase who was presiding, citing reasons why the petition could not received, prompting the umbrella body of Nigerians living abroad, NIDO to issue a 14 day ultimatum for the deputy speaker to apologise over the action and associated comments.
Reacting to reports about the development however, the deputy speaker said the crux of the encounter between himself and Gbillah “was on the legal identity (and flowing from that, the LOCUS) of the Petitioners and not on the whether Nigerians in diaspora have a right to petition the House or not.”
A statement by Chief Press Secretary to the deputy speaker, Umar Puma, on Monday read in part; “Let it be categorically stated that the coverage and reportage of the incident have mostly been doctored, slanted and bent to give political and ethnic coloration to an event that was otherwise strictly based on Rules of Parliamentary Procedures.
“While it would have been unnecessary to respond to such shows of clear mischief by mischief-makers with malicious intentions, it has however become imperative to clear the air on the matter in order to educate the ignorant and reassure the enlightened.
“The House of Representatives belongs to all Nigerians and can be accessed by all Nigerians wherever they may reside. However, like other arms of Government, (such as Courts of Law), Petitioners must follow laid down rules and procedures in presenting their petitions to the House, otherwise there would be lawlessness, disorder and chaos.”
It explained that all petitions in line with the rules, must be presented by a sponsor on behalf of an identifiable Petitioner who can either be an individual/groups of individuals or registered corporate entity.
“In the current incident, the Sponsor of the Petition read the Petitioners as: ASSOCIATION OF TIVS RESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES”, insisting that the coinage raises a lot of technical questions.