Last year at the induction of new members of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Lagos , a former Minister of Information, Chief Alex Akinyele, told the story of a certain situation in the animal kingdom. Everyone in the village was worried about their children whose behaviours were becoming less than noble. A meeting was therefore called to address the issue.

At the meeting, all the animals had something to complain about their children. The tortoise listened with rapt attention to all the complaints until they thought they had been exhausted. But the tortoise had a unique complaint about his child. He obviously did not think that any of the children’s misdemeanours compared with his child’s. According to him, his child had no shame. And anyone who had no shame was capable of doing anything, no matter how repulsive. The greatest problem with Nigerian leaders, he said, is that they have no shame. That is why they are capable of doing anything. And I find this particularly true of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs Patricia Etteh.

I have always believed that women hold the ace in our search for an incorruptible leadership – a leadership with a soul. And the few women who have had the privilege of occupying public offices in this country have done relatively well, by my standard. Dora Akunyili, Obi Ezekwesili, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, amongst others, have proved their mettle. But I will never subscribe to sweeping anything under the carpet just because the person occupying a position is a woman. 

There is nowhere in all of the civilized world where spending the amount of money Mrs Etteh is said to have spent to renovate, not build, official quarters will not attract condemnation. As a public officer, the natural thing for her to do, even if she was innocent, is step aside so that the matter could be thoroughly investigated. There is a possibility that such an investigation will exonerate her, if indeed she is innocent.

But what do we have instead? Her mother is calling on the world to leave her daughter alone, as if she was presiding over a personal empire. Some women are screaming blue murder and victimization against the women folk, since this is the first time a woman is occupying that exalted position. Some of her kinsmen are advising members of the House from the region to take it easy with the woman because she is part of the little reward the Yoruba race is getting for all their efforts to make Nigeria truly great. And some members of the House are taking sides based on what they got or did not get when House Committees were appointed.  

All the people who are saying one way or the other that the Speaker should be left alone are obviously not thinking of the implication of leaving her alone. Part of it is that nobody will take us seriously anymore irrespective of what we claim to be doing to fight corruption. Another is that the little gains of the anti-corruption crusade will be eroded as those in authority who are bent on perpetuating the status quo will see it as a license to continue ‘their business’ as usual. Yet another is that the People’s Democratic Party which has not been able to shake off the vast allegations of corruption against it and its officials in government and during the past elections will continue to be seen as being against the people of this country.

I do not know how many people are asking the Speaker to ignore the calls for her to step aside to allow for proper investigations of the allegations against her, but it seems her party is top on the list. Rumours are rife that the party wants to treat this once again as a family matter. The question is: whose family are we talking about? Is the interest of PDP family more important than the interest of the larger Nigerian family? If anything, I believe the situation presents a golden opportunity for PDP to score a point, albeit a cheap one, that it does not endorse corruption in any form. I expect the party to institute an independent panel of enquiry to investigate Speaker Patricia Etteh, in addition to whatever investigations the House is carrying out. The PDP should be seen to hold its members in government accountable to both the party and the Nigerian people. Otherwise, the label of ‘The Most Corrupt Party’ will continue to stick.

As for the Speaker, I was shocked that she could preside over a sitting of the House that resolved yesterday to investigate her. More shocking was the fact that she could not but comment one way or the other on the issue since she was the one presiding over the sitting. And since she cannot be the judge in her own case, it remains to be seen who the report of the panel that has been constituted will be submitted to and who will preside over its debate. Will someone therefore tell the Speaker to do the only civilized thing to do, in spite of the many voices speaking to her right now! She should please step aside until the job of the ‘independent’ panel investigating her is concluded. That is the only way to uphold the integrity of the panel, the House and her honourable (?) self. And that is the only way Nigerians will have faith in the House she will continue to preside over, if she is found not guilty.  

Robot  # 1 | 06.09.2007 07:35

...Read the full article.

STTOPP  # 2 | 06.09.2007 12:37

This rush to judgement is exactly one of the reason Nigerian will always find it hard to be civil. The democratic process requires a delibrate and methodic way of solving problems, it is going to take us a while to get it right but with Nigerians like this on NVS and elsewhere, it's sure going to take a long time. STTOPP

Profegee  # 3 | 06.09.2007 22:55

=STTOPP;205517>This rush to judgement is exactly one of the reason Nigerian will always find it hard to be civil. The democratic process requires a delibrate and methodic way of solving problems, it is going to take us a while to get it right but with Nigerians like this on NVS and elsewhere, it's sure going to take a long time. STTOPP Whichever way we look at it without being uncivil the buck stops on her table. At least she had never deny knowledge or being part of the contract. Masari has come to say the Speaker's Residence was given major face-lift not quite 2 years ago. Methinks making a woman the speaker of the federal house of representatives should translate to better service to humanity, especially embarking on what woud touch the life of an average Nigerian positively. No one is challenging the legality of the award of contract, but its appropriateness. The Holy Book says "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up, All things are lawful," but I will not be enslaved by anything. I want to summarize this way, though the national assembly is independent and empowered to award contract which paints the lawfulness of awarding such (without probing the transparency and prudency of the award), but is more that a half a billion Naira contract for just two public officials justified or morally reasonable?

docokwy  # 4 | 07.09.2007 02:57

This madam speaker of a person should expunge ''Etteh'' from her name until cleared. She is desecrating that name, for now. She should bear her father's name instead. The below story, disturbing as it were, tells of how people like madam speaker and many other elected officials in Nigeria got their unmerited positions. Hence they do not value the principle underlying such positions. 20 guns, 41 cutlasses, 125 bullets, charms displayed at Oyo election tribunal By Dolapo Okunniga Thursday, September 6, 2007 TWENTY guns, 125 catridges, 41 cutlasses, one axe, one iron glove, six bundles of charms and amulets, 72 voters’ cards and five ballot boxes were among exhibits tendered and admitted on Wednesday at the Oyo State governorship election tribunal sitting in Ibadan. The exhibits were tendered by Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, while testifying at the hearing. Documents tendered by the police and admitted as exhibits included a list of suspects arrested in connection with the election, statements made by the suspects to the police, the charge sheets prepared by the police for the prosecution of the suspects as well as a national newspaper of April 15 which published a comprehensive report of the elections in Oyo State. During cross examination, Lakanu said though elections were peaceful in Oyo State, there were pockets of skirmishes and violence in some parts of the state. When Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), counsel for Senator Abiola Ajimobi, governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), sought that his witness tender statements obtained by suspects arrested by the police during the elections on April 14 as evidence, the duo of Chief Makanjuola Esan (SAN), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) counsel, and Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Governor Bayo Alao-Akala’s counsel, objected, saying that the police chief was not the original maker of the document and so could not really answer the question as to whether they were truly made by persons mentioned as the maker. Fagbemi submitted further that since the proceedings were not a trial and the makers of the statements were not present, the voluntariness of the statement could not be ascertained and urged the tribunal not to send the “wrong signals” that they were adjudicating on a matter before another court which would ultimately contravene the constitutional right to fair hearing.Akintola, in his argument, said the witness, by virtue of his duties, had the ancillary right to investigate and obtain statements from suspects after arresting them, adding that all documents emanating from the custody of the Nigeria Police Force were public documents which could be tendered and admitted by the tribunal. The tribunal, in its ruling, accepted that the documents were admissible, but ruled that the relevance to be attached to them was a different matter. The panel also on Thursday ordered the Director of the State Security Service (SSS), Oyo command, Mr. Adebayo Babalola, to produce at the next adjourned date, September 17, all documents in connection with the April 14 gubernatorial election which were handed over to him by the former General Officer Commanding, 2 Mechanised Division, Nigerian Army, Major-General Mohammed Sanni Saleh, including such other documents and items listed in the subpoena compelling him to appear before the tribunal. The order followed the refusal of the representative of the SSS boss, Mr. Rasheed Ibrahim, a principal officer, legal matters of the service, who first opted to be heard in camera but was refused by the tribunal chairman, Justice Sidi Bage, who insisted that all trials must be conducted publicly. Ibrahim subsequently said he did not bring a copy of the subpoena before the tribunal and asked for permission to address the panel. According to him, “the SSS has a tradition. It does not act or speculate or investigate an issue at the behest of any private individual in this respect. Whatever is in the SSS custody are termed as classified security documents and materials and, therefore, the SSS cannot produce all the items sought by the learned silk. We operate within the statutory provision, we have the statutory duty to protect the internal security of Nigeria and Oyo State in particular.” Chief Esan and Mr. Fagbemi said they were not objecting to the comment of the SSS official. Chief Akintola, in his argument, said the constitution surpassed any statute and, by virtue of its provision, gave a court or tribunal the right to subpoena any person whose evidence would be relevant to the instant case and urged the tribunal to compel the Director of the SSS to show up at the next adjourned date to tender all documents listed in the subpoena which included vehicles, iron rods, axe, charms, particulars of vehicle documents and the list of arrested persons on the subpoena given to him. http://odili.net/news/source/2007/sep/6/551.html

i-go-better  # 5 | 07.09.2007 06:01

=STTOPP;205517>This rush to judgement is exactly one of the reason Nigerian will always find it hard to be civil. The democratic process requires a delibrate and methodic way of solving problems, it is going to take us a while to get it right but with Nigerians like this on NVS and elsewhere, it's sure going to take a long time. STTOPP Your reference to what is happening as "rush to judgement" is rather a pity; who is rushing to judgement here? Have you forgotten how it all satrted so soon? 1st: she was preparing a birthday bash in the US: LEADERSHIP of the HOUSE said she was only going to US for medical check-up; SHE HAD A BIRTHDAY PARTY IN USA. 2nd: accused of N628Million refurbishment contract award: LEADERSHIP of the HOUSE said it was mere N238, then N596, then it was not refurbishing but upgrading etc, etc... Why would you accuse a society whose HONOURABLE men and women cannot honestly address very simple issues of birthday party and contract award as uncivil and rushing to judgement? If you even accept the lowest of the multiple amount admitted by the LEADERSHIP of the HOUSE, does it not elicit any feeling of shame from you? If this had happened in any of your supposed civilised world, EU, USA, etc, the cities would be on fire, the LEADERSHIP of that HOUSE and the PARTY would have collapsed. Nigeria has the most *****ic tolerant citizens than any other Nation and with you, one does not need to look far to see one of them!

Vaya con Dios  # 6 | 07.09.2007 06:14

=i-go-better;205696>Your reference to what is happening as "rush to judgement" is rather a pity; who is rushing to judgement here? Have you forgotten how it all satrted so soon? 1st: she was preparing a birthday bash in the US: LEADERSHIP of the HOUSE said she was only going to US for medical check-up; SHE HAD A BIRTHDAY PARTY IN USA. ! Kindly give us details of that birthday party, where it was held and how much was voted and spent on that party! Thank you very much. =i-go-better;205696> 2nd: accused of N628Million refurbishment contract award: LEADERSHIP of the HOUSE said it was mere N238, then N596, then it was not refurbishing but upgrading etc, etc... Why would you accuse a society whose HONOURABLE men and women cannot honestly address very simple issues of birthday party and contract award as uncivil and rushing to judgement? Yes. . . .the amount voted for the refurbishment and upgrading was scandalous and cannot be justified by any means! It must be condemned without mincing words. But the jury is still out on this one. We are all waiting to see how the saga will end. And until it does, and the results are published, don't you think it is a little too early to start flinging brickbats and calling names? Just my 0.20 cents.

Profegee  # 7 | 08.09.2007 02:13

All the House of Reps can do is set up a committee but no one can say for sure how genuine that committee is. One thing I know about this scandal is that it is not an ethnic thing or a gender thing. We should stop being sentimental about it. That Etteh is a woman is not justification for dismissing the scandal. She must be probed and Nigerians must know the truth. That means the result of the investigation must be made public. We want to know the facts and that has to be made public. What is good is good. What is bad is bad. It’s not a gender thing or an ethnic thing. The committee has to lay the facts bare. If Okadigbo could be disgraced for N50 million scandal, and the presidency could go on a nation-wide bradcast on Wabara, fine hign ranking senators and the then Education minister on N10 million alleged graft; it would be unfair to bring gender or tribe to the case of Etteh. What was special in a 54th-year birthday that Madam Speaker invited some of his associate for celebration in USA?

Godwin  # 8 | 08.09.2007 03:15

http://www.tribune.com.ng/08092007/for_d_records1.html Etteh: Long Way From Impeachment From late July 2007, the two chambers of the National Assembly proceeded on a one-and- a-half-month-recess and were due to resume plenary from September 4. But controversy over financial regulations, which is fast becoming the hallmark of the Nigerian legislature, broke out from the House of Representatives as to the circumstances leading to the award of contracts for the renovation of the official residence of the Speaker of the House, Patricia Etteh, and her Deputy, Babangida Ngoroje. The crisis, many believe, is principally a fallout of the composition of the House Standing Committees announced by Etteh on the eve of the recess by the members of the lower House. There are 360 members in the House with each of them positioning for the less than 100 committees chairmanship positions. Indeed, standing committees of the House has never at a time exceeded 80 in number, and the Speaker had at the start of her tenure announced the decision to reduce the committees in line with the low profile disposition of the incumbent government. There were loud grumbles as soon as Etteh announced the composition of the committees. Owing to that, it was expected that the announcement would not just go without an incident. Some ranking members who had their eyes on certain committees felt shortchanged by the decision of Etteh and the House leadership to place them in other committees. The House leadership equally knew the enormity of the problem associated with the composition of committees. They knew that their action or inaction in certain regards could lead to eruptions in the House, the magnitude of which no one could envisage. Thus, when it was being insinuated that the Senate was ready to announce its committee positions, the leaders of the House were said to have sent emissaries to the upper chamber to hold the decision so as not to heap too much pressure on the lower chamber. When the leaders of the House of Representatives were eventually ready with the committee list, there was nothing to show that the decisions went well with the group of legislators described as the “vocal minority,” the group of ranking members. The ranking members had defended Etteh during the processes that led to her emergence, and it was believed that appointment into relevant or what is regarded as ‘juicy’ committees would be the natural payback. It was, therefore, not strange that when the crisis over contract awards broke out, those who backed Etteh’s emergence in June were also at the forefront, with many of them granting media interviews calling for probe. While most of the stories were restricted to the media during the recess, the tense atmosphere reverted to the premises of the National Assembly as the September 4 date for resumption of activities drew close. On Friday, August 31 and Monday September 3, a group of youths converged at the main gate of the National Assembly bearing placards condemning Etteh. Some of the placards called for her removal, while others condemned her alleged act of impropriety in awarding the contracts. Some legislators in the lower chamber – including Farouk Lawan, Mercy Almona-Isei and Halims Agoda, prominent figures in the immediate past Assembly– had taken positions against Etteh and were at the forefront of spreading what the Speaker’s loyalists would term the bad news. On September 2, the management of the National Assembly attempted to douse the tension when it addressed journalists covering both the House of Representatives and the Senate, to explain the contract awards in the House of Representatives. Director of Information and Publications in the National Assembly, Mr. Monima Daminabo, who addressed the press on behalf of the Clerk of National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Nasiru Arab, said that the media had been fed a lot of half truths and incoherent figures, while insisting that contracts awards in the House followed due process. Daminabo, who addressed the press conference in company with the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Eziuche Ubani, and the acting Clerk of the House of Representatives, Mr. Niyi Ajiboye, said that only N52 million had been paid out to the contractors out of the N579,216 million total sum of the contracts. He also clarified that the official residences of the presiding officers of the legislature had reverted to the control of the National Assembly following the sale of Apo Quarters by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), adding that the National Assembly management had undertaken the upgrading of the residences in accordance with provisions made in the 2007 budget. According to the National Assembly spokesman, the scope of work done at the residences of the presiding officers of the House of Representatives was not confined to “mere renovation but entails a comprehensive upgrade of the affected premises to the standard that befits their status.” He added,. “Due process was followed at every stage in the award of the contracts. The tender notices for the projects were duly advertised through conspicuous display on the official notice boards throughout the National Assembly premises, as is the practice. The only disbursements made so far in respect of the contracts is 25 per cent of mobilisation and to only one contractor.” As the Assembly resumed for plenary on Tuesday, there were high expectations on the side of those pushing for Etteh’s removal on the basis of the allegations that the day would advance their cause. The media had also expected a stormy day in the chamber of the House of Representatives. But it was the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who made the first move, when he went into consultations with Etteh just before the day’s sitting commenced. Although many had insinuated that Mark’s visit to Etteh was to ensure stability in the House, the Senate’s spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze, told Senate correspondents that Mark went to consult with Etteh over the burial plans for the late President of the Senate, Chief Evan Enwerem, who died in August. It was also the death of Enwerem and the need to protect the legislative tradition that saved the Tuesday for Etteh. Plenary had to be suspended in honour of the former chairman of the National Assembly in keeping with legislative tradition. It was not surprising that both chambers of the National Assembly suspended plenary that day. The suspension of plenary early Tuesday ensured that the different caucuses of the House could meet to finetune strategies and reach positions on the raging controversy. That possibly had great effects on the proceedings of the following day, which was less rancorous. Members simply went into the business of appointing the nine-member adhoc committee to probe the allegations against Etteh and the committee was given two weeks to complete its assignment. While the issues had been largely pursued in the media, many members came on Tuesday to get the full briefing on the issues. There are two sides to the issue at stake. There are those who believe that the troubles of Etteh were basically attached to the composition of the committees, while there is the class of purists who believe that any inkling of fraud should be isolated. But from that class of members are also some who feel that while the message (that the House leaders should not be allowed to perpetrate fraud), might be right, the messengers are not the right carriers of such a message. Members of this class believe that the messengers of impeachment song are only trying to ride on the back of others to achieve what was not given to them during the committee composition. The dilemma of this group is hinged on their suspicion that the harbingers of Madam Speaker’s travails can easily yield to negotiations as per the composition of standing committees. Going by the nature of the parliament, the Senate has not been completely detached from the happenings in the House of Representatives. There is also the fear that whatever affects the lower chamber could easily affect the upper. Though some sources had unearthed the execution of the contract for the Senate president’s mansion with the sum of N450 million, the Assembly had since clarified that the contract was executed during the tenure of the former President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani, and that it was executed by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). Mark has not been silent on the House controversy. In Lokoja, Kogi State last weekend, he told newsmen that he was on he side of the Speaker as far as she has not been found guilty of any fraud. Besides, he was known to have shelved his foreign trip shortly after the crisis erupted during the recess to intervene in the matter. Mark told his colleagues in the upper chamber on Wednesday that they needed to be cautious on the House matter. Daminabo also told newsmen in the National Assembly that the contract awarded for the upgrading and renovation of the Speaker’s residence stands at N238,853,192.25 (two hundred and thirty eight million, eight hundred and fifty three thousand one hundred and ninety two naira and twenty five kobo). A breakdown of the contracts awards in the official residence of the Speaker, Daminabo said, included upgrading of the main mansion of 10 bedrooms and seven sitting rooms, private office and private study. Other parts of the residence set for upgrading include the three-bedroom guest house, the three-bedroom ADC’s House, the four-bedroom domestic staff house, reception block, radio room, power house and the lock-up garages. Other items that make up the contract for the Speaker’s residence include the construction of the new security house, relocation of the mosque into the compound, construction of a chapel, furnishing, fittings and communication gadgets, payment of 5 per cent VAT and one year maintenance. The National Assembly management also said that the sum of N90.2 million was to be spent on the upgrading of the Deputy Speaker’s residence, while another N55.2 million would be spent in furnishing the residence. Daminabo gave the breakdown of the contract to include the upgrading of the main mansion, which consists of seven bedrooms and five sitting rooms, a private study and private office. There is also the ADC’s apartment, security house, power house and the three bedrooms guest house. He said that other components of the contract awarded for the deputy speaker’s house include the fence upgrade, provision of a 100KVA generator, security system, external works, payment of 5 per cent VAT and one year maintenance. The National Assembly spokesman also said that the contract awards that have become a subject of controversy in the House of Representatives include the purchase of 17 official cars approved for the two presiding and eight principal officers of the House of Representatives as approved by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission. He said that the old vehicles inherited by the office of the Speaker and the principal officers could no longer do the job after they had been used for four years. He gave the breakdown of vehicles to include one Toyota Land Cruiser VX V8 Jeep and two Peugeot 406 for the Speaker, two Mercedes Benz 500, one Toyota Jeep, two Peugeot 406 and one Toyota Hilux for the use of the Deputy Speaker. Each of the eight Principal Officers are to be allocated one Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep. Daminabo said that while the management of the National Assembly would not want to join issues with the politicians, it felt that the public had been fed with half truths and figures that were not commensurate with those contained in the contract awards. While the defence by the management of the National Assembly will so far stand in the public domain as the strong point of the Speaker’s claim, the adhoc committee will have to look deep into the issues. The committee will for instance determine whether the control of the houses of the presiding officers of the Assembly has indeed reverted to the National Assembly unlike the practice prior to the sale of Apo Legislators’ Quarters and whether indeed due process was followed during the process of the award. One germane issue is whether the Tenders’ Board met before the contracts were awarded and which of the two Tenders’ Boards in the National Assembly handled the awards. There is the Principal Officers Tenders Board and the Management Tenders’ Board. As the probe committee flags off its activities, it is certain that the Speaker’s traducers have got a long way to go if they must get through the intent to impeach as they have espoused in the media. This is because other than claims of morality, there is nothing in the rules of the legislature that says a presiding officer cannot sit over his or her own case. Again, with the fact that any impeachment of the Speaker or Senate President must be backed by two-third majority of the chamber, it might just be a huge task getting her to step down.

Vaya con Dios  # 9 | 08.09.2007 08:59

=Profegee;205956>All the House of Reps can do is set up a committee but no one can say for sure how genuine that committee is. One thing I know about this scandal is that it is not an ethnic thing or a gender thing. We should stop being sentimental about it. That Etteh is a woman is not justification for dismissing the scandal. She must be probed and Nigerians must know the truth. That means the result of the investigation must be made public. We want to know the facts and that has to be made public. What is good is good. What is bad is bad. It’s not a gender thing or an ethnic thing. The committee has to lay the facts bare. If Okadigbo could be disgraced for N50 million scandal, and the presidency could go on a nation-wide bradcast on Wabara, fine hign ranking senators and the then Education minister on N10 million alleged graft; it would be unfair to bring gender or tribe to the case of Etteh. What was special in a 54th-year birthday that Madam Speaker invited some of his associate for celebration in USA? Yeah, I agree that Etth should be probed. So should David Mark and all others that budgeted scandalous amounts of money for furniture and renovation of their official quarters! ALL of them should be brought to book! Until the facts are in, I prefer to reserve my comments till a later date.