Friday Itulah is the member representing Esan South-East and Esan North-East in the House of Representatives and a member, House Committee on Federal Capital Territory and the Millennium Development Goals. In this interview with ALEXANDER OKERE, he states why President Jonathan cannot be impeached
What is your assessment of last week’s attempt by security operatives to prevent federal lawmakers from gaining entry into the National Assembly chambers?
It was not the proper thing to do. I believe the legislature is one that makes a difference in a democracy. Therefore, invading the legislature is like invading democracy. It’s a condemnable act from all ramifications. If there are issues in the legislature, it is the legislature that should handle them.
Do you think the Presidency has given that incident the attention it really deserves?
I am aware the Presidency has made it clear that it is not a party to what transpired in the legislature and that it is also carrying out some investigations. That is what it has to do because it must give fair hearing to all in every situation. But the legislature is also capable of taking care of whatever issue that has arisen in the course of its official duty. Under the power of investigation, the legislature has both legislative and quasi-judicial powers. It can summon any public officer to appear before it to explain some actions or inactions that were carried out anyway.
In that respect, I am aware that both the Senate and House of Representatives have summoned the Inspector-General of Police to explain what transpired on that fateful Thursday in the National Assembly complex.
The All Progressives Congress lawmakers are allegedly pushing for the impeachment of the president on the ground that the Jonathan administration had paid less attention to the spate of impunity in the country, which they say constitutes an impeachable offence. Do you agree?
In law, we say that he who alleges has to prove. As far as I and other legislators in the Peoples Democratic Party are concerned, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, has not done anything close to an impeachable offence.
Anybody playing politics with impeachment knows that he or she is only engaging in a futile attempt that will not lead him or her anywhere. It is better not to start something than to start something that will not be finished. For majority of the members of the National Assembly, President Jonathan has done very well and deserves only to be encouraged because there is no administration that has impacted positively on the lives of Nigerians more than the Jonathan administration.
With as many as 113 House of Representatives members said to have already signed an impeachment notice, do you not think it should be a concern for your party?
I don’t know the number of persons who have signed and the parties they belong to; but if anything is happening, it should be of concern to the party. However, I can tell you the whole thing will fizzle out. I see it as a distraction because the procedure for impeachment requires a two-third majority, which is not something that one can easily arrive at. Most of the members of the House cannot be lured into that move and I am one of them.
Is it true that the PDP has promised to ensure its members in the lower chamber who wish to return get re-election tickets as a way of discouraging them from supporting the move by their All Progressives Congress counterparts to impeach President Jonathan?
I do know that; it is the other way round. The opposition parties are promising automatic tickets to members who decide to engage in the distraction of the presidency. As for the PDP, I don’t know of such a move. We in the PDP are very democratic. Our actions are democratic and I do know that the members seeking re-election are all doing their best to ensure that they are in touch with the electorate.
But some of the federal lawmakers are said to have fallen out with their governors and state leadership of the party over their political aspirations and will support the impeachment move if they failed to secure the party’s ticket. Is that likely to be the case?
I doubt that. In a democratic system, everybody has the right to aspire to occupy one position or the other. Irrespective of who is supporting who, what matters in the end is the will of the people. I know that once you have a strong relationship with your people at the grass roots, it is difficult for a governor to say he dictates everything.
With the elections drawing near, what is the mood of the House on the fate of President Jonathan and the PDP?
If we are to be objective, irrespective of the party, we all know that the present administration is doing very well. President Jonathan has worked hard to unite the country as one indivisible entity. He has started many projects and has the ability to conclude them. I can tell that those of us in the PDP are very optimistic that the party will continue to retain the executive at the federal level and in most states across the federation.
The PDP-led Federal Government has done very well in attracting great dividends of democracy to the people and ensuring that the rule of law prevails. To that extent, there is nothing to be afraid of, as far as the present leadership is concerned.
SOURCE : PUNCH.
