National Assembly Roundup: Lawmakers in world of Bobrisky, fight over national honours, other stories from House of Reps

Last week, the House of Representatives attracted more than its usual media attention following its investigation into a bribery allegation involving controversial cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky.

The House Committees on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions held a public hearing on Monday into the bribery scandal involving Bobrisky, the Nigerian Correctional Service, and the EFCC.

It is safe to say that the lawmakers ventured into an unfamiliar arena of social media drama and trolling when they summoned Bobrisky, the “Queen” of drag, and Martin Otse, the king of social media trolls, also known as VeryDarkMan, for the hearing.

While Section 86 of the 1999 Constitution grants both chambers the power to summon anyone to testify during an investigation, the committee members seemed unprepared for the kind of guests they had summoned. Instead of a legislative hearing, Nigerians witnessed a spectacle.

Right from the gate of the National Assembly Complex, VeryDarkMan, dressed in traditional white Bini attire with white gloves, made a dramatic entrance alongside his “voodoo man”. Luckily for the lawmakers, Bobrisky, whom many struggled to address with the correct pronoun, did not appear at the hearing. Would they have referred to them as a man or woman?

During the hearing, the lawmakers made frantic efforts to avoid turning the session into a circus. Still, they failed to contain VDM, who at one point refused to speak to the lawmakers, instead asking his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, to speak on his behalf. For over an hour, the lawmakers and their “star witness” argued over whether to speak or remain silent.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of experience among many of the committee members, VDM took control of the hearing. To compel him to speak, the lawmakers threatened arrest, but VDM accused them of being the “secret godfathers” Bobrisky had previously boasted about.

During the probe, VDM mocked two lawmakers, Billy Osawaru and Kafilat Ogbara, and even declared, “If he speaks, let him die”. All this happened without any consequence from the committee.

None of the lawmakers cited Section 11(b) of the Powers and Privileges Act, which criminalises contempt of the House.

The hearing left several questions: Should the lawmakers have delved into the world of Bobrisky and VDM? Should they have been better prepared? And most importantly, how familiar are members with the rules governing legislative hearings?

It is worth recalling that this same Committee on Financial Crimes investigated the Binance case and became embroiled in bribery allegations. Months later, the committee has yet to submit a report on that case.

Nonetheless, away from the VDM drama, the committee was able to grill some officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service about Bobrisky, answering a question many have longed to ask. We learned he has some ” female features”.

The National Honour battle

Moving away from the trivial world of Bobrisky and VDM, last week, the House of Representatives scored a major political point, not on fuel or the rising cost of living, but by asserting it is not inferior to the Senate. In fact, its members do not want it referred to as the lower chamber.

They persuaded President Bola Tinubu to rescind his decision on the award of national honours to the presiding officers of the National Assembly.

On Wednesday, Philip Agbese, the deputy spokesperson of the House, moved a motion on the national honours that President Tinubu conferred on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the presiding officers.

In his Independence Day broadcast on Tuesday, President Tinubu conferred the national honour of GCON on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. The Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, and the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin.

The House, through a bipartisan resolution, rejected the honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), insisting that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. According to them, the House and the Senate are equals.

Shortly after the resolution, and realising the political implications, the House attempted to soften its stance, claiming they did not reject the honour but merely asked the president to confer a higher title on the Speaker.

Again, on Thursday, the Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, raised a point of order, stating that the media misrepresented their proceedings.

But here is an excerpt from the motion:

“Mandate the relevant House Committees to liaise with the Presidency and propose amendments to the National Honours Act of 1964 to appropriately recognise the Speaker of the House of Representatives as co-head of the National Assembly and, accordingly, confer the national honour of GCON upon the Speaker, ensuring parity in recognition with the President of the Senate. This should be accomplished before the formal decoration by Mr President.”

On Friday, while on leave in London, the president heeded their call and granted their wish by conferring the GCON on Mr Tajudeen. But here is the question: are the Senate President and the Speaker truly equals?

Time to Talk Taxes

On Thursday, President Tinubu transmitted four taxation bills to the National Assembly for passage.

The bills are the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which is expected to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, which will provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.

The others are the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, which will repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which will create a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.

Mr Tinubu campaigned vigorously for fiscal reforms, similar to what he implemented as governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.

The question is: will the lawmakers allow proper debates and public engagement on these bills, or will they fast-track them, as has been the case with other executive bills?

Defection and reward of chairmanship

Christian Nkwonta, who represents Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency of Abia State, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday.

As expectedly, the protests by the minority bench fell on deaf ears, as the Speaker, Mr Tajudeen, welcomed his new party member with open arms and appointed him the chairman of the House Committee on South East Development Commission.