NASS ROUNDUP: Lawmaker docked for assault, Keyamo replies Reps on Oyedepo’s airstrip, others

“Do you know who I am?” is a familiar phrase used by Nigerians when attempting to assert power. Last Sunday, Alex Ikwechegh, a member of the House of Representatives, used this exact phrase before assaulting a Bolt driver, Stephen Abuwatseya.

Mr Abuwatseya’s offence? He had the audacity to ask the lawmaker to come outside to collect his dispatch and pay for the service.

“Who the hell do you think you are talking to? Do you know who I am?” Mr Ikwechegh said while facing the camera, before landing two slaps on the driver’s face. The lawmaker proceeded to call Mr Abuwatseya unprintable names and threatened to make him disappear.

Mr Ikwechegh appeared confident that there would be no repercussions for his actions. However, social media had other plans. The video trended widely on major social media platforms, and by the following afternoon, the police summoned him for interrogation.

Earlier, the lawmaker had bragged, “Tell them (people on social media) that I slapped you. Call the Inspector-General of Police.” However, he soon found himself shuttling between the dock at the Magistrates’ Court in Kuje, where he is facing a three-count charge, and the House chamber, where he is being probed by a disciplinary committee.

Given the history of similar committees, expectations for significant consequences are low. In the previous Assembly, Elisha Abbo, a senator who assaulted a woman, faced a comparable committee, but no substantial action was taken. Historically, the ethics committee has tended to wield its power primarily against lawmakers who speak out against the leadership.

In the case of Mr Abbo, the Senate used the fact that he was facing prosecution as an excuse not to consider a report submitted by the ethics committee.

Keyamo set for another clash with lawmakers?

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, may be on another collision course with the legislators due to an investigation into the process of granting licences for private airstrips.

This development follows the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Sulaiman Gumi (APC, Zamfara) on Wednesday.

In his motion, Mr Gumi raised concerns about the approval process for private airstrips, suggesting that some could serve as corridors for the smuggling of arms and ammunition.

He specifically cited the licence granted to Living Faith Church, located in Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State. The church is owned by influential cleric, David Oyedepo.

As a result, the House called on the federal government to withdraw existing licences granted for private airstrips, including Mr Oyedepo’s.

In response, Mr Keyamo stated that the motion stemmed from a position of ignorance.

“Although the member’s intentions were patriotic, they were based on a lack of knowledge about the aviation sector,” Mr Keyamo wrote in a post on X.

“Once we explain how private airstrips operate and the regulatory processes involved through our agencies before final approval, they will be reassured. Private airstrip owners are only responsible for constructing the runway and terminal building.

“However, once the control tower is built, it is fully handed over to the Federal Government through the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which oversees the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is signed with NAMA before any airstrip is approved for operations,” the post read.

It remains uncertain how the lawmakers will respond to this jab, but this is not Mr Keyamo’s first confrontation with the legislators.

As a junior minister in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity during the last administration, he engaged in a lengthy dispute with lawmakers over the implementation of the Special Works Programme. The dispute almost haunted him during his ministerial screening in 2023. There was even a motion to suspend his screening. It took the intervention of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Should the House take offence at his remarks, Nigerians could witness another round of intense back-and-forth.

Failed attempt to reinstate the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs

President Bola Tinubu’s decision to scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and replace it with the Ministry of Regional Development continues to generate concern, particularly among residents of the South-South region.

Last week, Oboku Oforji (PDP, Bayelsa), a member of the House, moved a motion urging President Tinubu to reverse the decision to dissolve the ministry.

However, the House shelved the motion after Speaker Abbas Tajudeen stated that its prayer had been “overtaken by events.”

Mr Tajudeen informed the House that he had met with President Tinubu the previous week and received assurances that the President supported a South-South Development Commission Bill, which would address the specific issues of the Niger Delta region.

Given this information, Mr Tajudeen urged the lawmaker to allow the House to withdraw the motion, noting that subsequent developments had already overtaken the matter.

Perhaps lawmakers need to read the constitution more because, according to section 147 of the Nigerian constitution, the power of a ministry is at the president’s discretion.

“There shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation as may be established by the President.”

Mandatory portfolio attachment to Ministerial Nominees

On Thursday, a bill requiring the president to attach portfolios to ministerial nomination lists passed its second reading.

The proposed legislation also applies to state governors, who would be required to attach portfolios to their list of commissioner nominees.

The constitutional amendment bill, sponsored by Eugene Dibiagwu (APC, Imo), seeks to amend Sections 147 and 192 of the Nigerian constitution.

Over the years, presidents and governors have submitted nominee lists to parliament for screening without attaching portfolios, compelling legislators to ask questions based on assumptions.

Most lawmakers who supported the bill argued that it would enable more effective screening, as the questions would be more targeted.

Extension of retirement age for health workers

While millions of Nigerians seek employment, those already in public sector roles are pushing for extensions to their retirement age.

Judges and teachers have already secured extensions, while police officers and National Assembly staff have bills proposing similar measures.

Last week, the House passed a bill for second reading that would extend the retirement age for healthcare workers, increasing the years of service from 35 to 40 and raising the age limit from 60 to 65.

The bill, sponsored by Wale Hammed (APC, Lagos), advanced after a debate on its general principles.

Those who spoke in favour of the bill anchored their arguments on utilising the experience of senior officers, while those against the bill argued that there are millions out there seeking employment. The bill was later passed despite the opposition.

The House subsequently adjourned till 12 November.