Parliament

Reps deny impeachment move against Gbajabiamila over water bill

The House of Representatives has denied an impeachment move against the Speaker of the lower chamber of the National Assembly, Femi Gbajabiamila, over failure to support the controversial Water Resources Bill.

The Water Resources Bill is an executive bill which passed through third reading in the House of Reps during the 8th Assembly but was rejected by the Senate.

The bill was recommitted for consideration recently in the 9th Assembly and it raised dust.

The Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Sanda Soli, said the bill was an executive bill, adding that it was not intended to generate any acrimony.

However, the Chairman, Northern Caucus, Seriki Addah, denied the move at plenary in Abuja on Tuesday, saying at no time did the caucus hold any meeting for the impeachment of Gbajabiamila.

“This is a sad day and coming at a time we should be talking of how to unite this country and provide leadership, we are being dragged down by the agent of destabilisation.

“I say clearly that what has been published is malicious lies aimed at planting the seed of discord among Nigerians,” he said.

Addah stated that Gbajabiamila enjoyed the support of every lawmaker in the House, adding that his campaign to become speaker was hinged on “nation building, a joint task”.

He said the Speaker hails from the South-West region of the country and the person who contested against him was a northerner, but the northerners chose to support Gbajabiamila.

The lawmaker stated that the rumoured impeachment move was a disservice to the country and should be condemned, urging the publisher to retract the publication and apologise to the North.

He said the Northern Caucus was aggrieved and betrayed by the malicious publication.

The chairman noted that the lawmakers were trying hard to build the nation, saying: “Nigeria is Nigeria, we are one country and lawmakers operate as Nigerians; we don’t talk about tribe or religion.”

The Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, while refuting the report said there was nothing like impeachment going on to the best of his knowledge.

Wase pleaded with his colleagues to toe the line of what had been mentioned to trust one another, adding that members were working as a family.

The lawmaker urged other members not to be carried by emotions and sentiments towards dividing them.

“We remain the symbol of democracy in this country and in any nation, the parliament is a symbol of democracy.

“Maybe because the speaker is away and they want to gang me up against my colleagues too and that is why they are planting this story.

“For me, I want to say we are one and we are one in terms of our activities. The matter is hereby referred to the committee on ethics and privilege,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila is currently attending a leadership course at Harvard University in the United States.

The Star