SAN FRANCISCO, October 02, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives resumed plenary Wednesday with protest by lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against a paid advertorial in some national newspapers congratulating President Goodluck Jonathan on the occasion of the nation’s 53rd independence anniversary.
140 members of the PDP loyal to the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led faction in the House had on Tuesday, October 1 placed advertisement in some national newspapers congratulating the president. But some members whose name appeared on the advert complained that it was without their consent.
The development came amid allegation that each of the 140 members who signed the advert may have collected $25,000 each to work against the leadership of the House.
But rising under matters of privilege at Wednesday’s plenary, Hon. Mohammed Onawo ( PDP, Nasarawa), had drawn the attention of the House to the adverts placed in some national newspapers congratulating the president where his name was also listed.
According to the lawmaker, the advert was an attempt to cause disharmony in the House as only 140 out of the 208 PDP members were listed, adding that there were insinuations that each of those listed as congratulating the president had been paid $25,000 each.
Speaker of the House, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who presided over the session, in his ruling on the point of order, however appealed to members to always consult their colleagues before putting their names on advert and other publications.
Briefing the media after the session, Hon. Onawo, alongside caucus leader of the new PDP in the House, Hon. Andrew Uchendu (New PDP, Rivers) explained that about 22 of them were included In the advertorial without their consent and that was why he raised an objection.
“As at the beginning of today’s (Wednesday) sitting, we were about 22 complaining together but because I was the most aggrieved, I moved the point of order on the floor.
“My grouse was that my name featured in the publication without my consent. If we were to congratulate the president, we should have done it as a House. We are 208 PDP members in the House but only 140 signed the congratulatory message. It means a group of people are trying to divide the House,” he said.
Onawo, who was speaker of Nasarawa State House of Assembly for eight years, insisted that though he could not confirm that $25,000 was given to the members, stories are flying around that they were actually given the money whereas he did not collect anything, yet his name was listed.
In his contribution, New PDP caucus leader, Hon. Uchendu, said the Speaker had before now enjoined all factions to sheathe their swords in the interest of peace and unity of the nation and wondered why some members of the party would go ahead to sponsor a paid advert for the president without the knowledge of the entire House.
He described the action of those who placed the advert as an attempt to create the impression that they were loyal to the president than others.
“Mr. Speaker had advised us that we should maintain peace and cohesion in the interest of the nation. So why would few persons go to the press and put in names of PDP members whom they consulted and those they did not consult. They want to give the impression that they are loyal to the president. Mr. president is my man too and I’ m loyal to him,” he said.
By Saint Mugaga, Abuja
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