By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, suddenly called for an emergency closed session during plenary on Tuesday to douse the tension created by the decision of the Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, to stage a walkout.
Ndume, the Borno South Senator, had raised a point of order on alleged errors committed and not corrected by the President of the Senate.
He said the error committed was based on a motion moved by Senator Sumaila Kawu (NNPP Kano South), for debate on the need to re-open the Nigeria-Niger border, without reading the title of his motion.
Ndume, who rose through order 51 of the Senate standing rules, requested the Senate President to allow for correction of any error made or observed in the plenary.
He said, “This is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guided by laws, rules, and procedures. If in the course of proceedings at any session, errors are observed, they must be corrected before forging ahead with such proceedings.
“Nobody is above learning. The Senate President should note that.”
Senator Sunday Karimi (APC Kogi West) made attempts to sustain Ndume’s line of argument through another point of order but was also ruled out of order by the Senate President.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau quickly rose to read order 16, which required a substantive motion to be moved by any Senator for correction or review of the earlier decision taken.
The decision by Akpabio to sustain Barau’s point of order, made Ndume raise order 54 to correct the perceived error.
Akpabio demanded the standing order book from the Clerk to the Senate and read it out.
He then told Ndume that the order did not support his line of argument.
The Senate President subsequently ruled him out of order without being allowed to defend his argument.
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*Ndume stages a walkout
Not satisfied with Akpabio’s ruling Ndume packed his documents and stormed out of the chamber.
The visibly enraged Ndume went straight to his office.
*Akpabio convenes executive session to douse tension
The Chief Whip was just settling down in his office when he received a call from a colleague to return to the chamber for an executive session.
The executive session lasted about one and a half hours.
*Kano Senator says crimes increasing over closed border
Kawu, who moved the motion on the border closure, stated that the closure of the border had increased the crime rate in the states that border the Niger Republic and that the development had led to massive job losses.
He claimed that the closure of the border by the member states of the Economic Community of West African States ran contrary to the provisions of the constitution of Nigeria that guarantee the security and welfare of the people which he said should be the paramount and primary purpose of government.
He urged the Federal Government to reconsider reopening the border between Nigeria and Niger to allow for free movement of trade and business between the two countries as commercial activities had drastically gone down in these areas.
He stressed that both Nigeria and Niger had signed bilateral trade agreements to allow free movement.
He said the borders ran contrary and violated the agreement.
He maintained that Nigerians should not be allowed to suffer such untold hardship for whatever reasons.
Akpabio noted that since the issue had to do with security, the motion would be stepped down to allow for further consultations.
