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Prof Echefuna' R G ONYEBEADI
I watched the Senate's change of sitting arrangements show of shame on TV.
Perhaps all the untoward show may have been avoided if the Senate Management had pre-informed the affected Senators ahead of the day's business.
However, the truth is that, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was very unruly on the floor of the Senate with uncouth language and body carriage.
Senator Natasha may have swayed her colleagues empathy in her favour if she had quietly obeyed and calmly raised her objection.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan doesn't seem to be quite familiar with the rules of the Senate based on how she variously goofed on the subject matter based on the extant rules of the Senate.
However, on point of law, the Senate and indeed any House of Assembly lacks the power to suspend its members, as has been variously determined by our courts of law.
Senators and indeed members of Houses of Assembly are not employees of the Senate or Houses of Assembly, but that of their constituents whom they are representing in the Senate and Houses of Assembly.
Only the constituents of elected parliamentarian have the right to suspend/recall their elected representative if they are not living up to expectations.
The rules of the Senate are inferior to that of the operating 1999 constitution as amended; and, to the extent of its inconsistency, is null and void.
The Senate seems to have overreached itself for purportedly stopping the salary and emoluments of the Senator for which they aren't primarily responsible for.
It is an aberration for the Senate to bar an elected Senator from entering the premises of the Senate and/or National Assembly among other absurd resolutions of the Senate on the subject matter.
Senators are colleagues and have equal rights. None is superior or inferior to the other.
The Senate President is only one among equals and not that of a master - servant’s relationship.
I do not want to dwell of the accusations of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The onus is on her to prove her case following due process.
Importantly, the integrity of the Senate, like any other institution, ought to be protected and preserved in accordance with our laws.
•Professor Echefuna’ R. G. ONYEBEADI [DBA; PhDs; CEng. etc], Professor of Engineering Economy, Strategic Management Expert and the Inegbese of Oligbo Kingdom, writes from FCT Abuja.