The Senate has disclosed that 74 lawmakers out of the 109 members of the red chamber voted for the state of emergency rule in River State.
The Senate spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, disclosed this to newsmen over the weekend at his country home in Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
He noted that 74 members voted for the emergency rule out of the 106 members who attended the meeting.
He said, “When the question was asked of those supporting the emergency rule in Rivers State, all of them said yes, and nobody said “nay” after discussing the matter.
“It is regrettable that everybody in Nigeria wants to interpret the rules and the constitution of Nigeria the way they like.
“Over 200 million Nigerians and over 200 million Nigerians interpreted the constitution of Nigeria, as a lawmaker, a lawyer and a Judge.”
Adaramodu condemned Nigerians’ interpretation of the rules and standing orders of the national assembly, who alleged that they were designed to favour their line of action and position.
“The rules say it must be through the closed session when security matters are discussed, and you cannot debate it in the open globally.” We did not bend the rules; we did what we needed to do!
“Personal feelings are not Law or status. We debated it, and we all agreed at the closed-door session that we supported the emergency rule in River State.
“After the debate, we increased the list of three more clues outside what the Presidency brought to the national assembly. It may not last six months if there are feelings that the atmosphere is conducive.
“The administrator will not only be reporting to the Presidency, but the national assembly shall continue to adjudicate and oversee the administration in River State continuously.
“That eminent Nigerians be set up as a committee to bring all the warring factions together and adjudicate and try to meditate among them, bring peace, and make a report to the Presidency and the National Assembly.
“In River State, the problem was caused by the Governor and the House of Assembly members, which means there was no governance in the state, where the majority of the 32 lawmakers could not make laws for the state, but only three were loyal to the Governor.
Senator Adaramodu, however, debunked the insinuations that the national assembly are rubber-stamped lawmakers.
“We are not in the Senate with gloves in our hands to go and knock and be fighting the executives or other arms of government.
“That is not our calling. Our calling is that we are partners in progress, and while we are partners in progress, we make laws to execute them in the hands of the executives and interpret them in the hands of the Judiciary. We will not be making laws but simultaneously executing them.”
The Senate spokesman added that the national assembly is focused because it has made appropriations, focused on laws for creating higher institutions in the country, and the Joint tax bill, among other things.
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