The lawmaker representing Rivers South East in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has said that members of the House of Representatives that scaled the fence to gain entry into the Assembly complex deserve national honours.
Abe explained that the lawmakers deserved to be congratulated for being able to defend the nation’s democracy by scaling the fence when security operatives locked the gate to the House of Representatives and shot teargas at them.
The senator, who made this remark on Saturday at the grand finale of the this year’s Yoruba Week and formal launching of a N500 million Yoruba House in Port Harcourt, said it was wrong for some spin doctors to describe the action of the House of Representatives’ members as a national embarrassment.
Describing the lawmakers as true defenders of the independence of the legislature, Abe, stated that he would have joined the lawmakers to scale the fence, even as he maintained that the legislators acted honourably in the defence of the nation’s democracy.
“People were talking about lawmakers who scaled the fence. I want to say that those lawmakers are the true defenders of the independence of the legislature. They should be given national awards for what they did.
“If as elected representatives of the Nigerian people, we go to our place of work and people have brought force from outside to prevent your representatives from sitting and they said no power can stop them from sitting on your behalf, if they have to scale the fence, they will scale it and they did so that they could meet to discuss the problems of Nigeria. How can anybody say they have not acted honourably?
“Spin doctors have appeared on the scene to try to colour what is a national embarrassment to this nation. You remember that similar thing like that was happening here in Rivers State; a reign of impunity and I almost lost my life.
“If you remember then, I wrote a letter then to Senator David Mark, the President of the Senate to say that, today, it is Senator Abe, nobody is saying anything. Tomorrow, it may well be Senator Mark. And as you can see, all of us were tear-gassed right inside the National Assembly complex,” Abe said.
Quoting the words of an American politician, Abe said, “Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue and extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice. So, if they (lawmakers) acted extremely to defend the liberty of the Nigerian people, they should be congratulated and honoured for what they did.”
The senator argued that the lawmakers would have set a precedence that any power could stop the national legislature from sitting if they had done otherwise during last week’s occupation of the National Assembly by security operatives.
According to Abe, “If they had gone back, then they would have created the history that any power can stop the national legislature from sitting. They acted in the defence of the Nigerian people.
“So, I want to thank them and congratulate them. The only thing that I was telling my son is that I felt very sad that I didn’t come there in time to join them to climb the fence. I would have climbed the gate with them.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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National honour my foot....they jumped the fence for their own interest...does any of them have the love of this country at heart?
ReplyDeleteThey should be honoured distinguished senator. I totally agree with you.
ReplyDeleteYouths will one day use the same method and invade the chambers to protest the bad laws these men are making and also the corrupt nature of these shameless men.
ReplyDeleteIs there any reason why our children should not scale their school fence to attend their studies since honourable members are doing same? Am also aware that there seems not to be any severe purnishment for fighting in the house cause i have seen several fighting in the house in the past and noting happens. WAO! while I know that fighting incurs suspension in most schools. I still say it Nigerians are to blame for electing touts in to leadership positions. In other parts of the world, they elect their best eleven.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing Magnus did by claiming he was shot by police and later apologised that his doctor told him to so, these are the type of people we have making laws for us, strange. Imagine him supporting criminality. If he sees someone scaling fence he would congratulate the person? Shameless people without honor but claimed to be honorables.
ReplyDeleteTruely they deserved the honour,if they didn't jump they would just be like the outcast legislators of Ekiti state,then some idiots would tell them to go to court where the president controls every aspect of d judges lives
ReplyDeleteSenotor. Abe I really agree with your motion sir.
ReplyDeleteSenator Abe.I really agree with youur motion sir.
ReplyDeleteI agree
ReplyDeleteIt is so alarming that some eminent personnel whose in their low intelligent quotient still ve it in mind day dey do know whereas they know next to nothing in d habit of praising punishable offences and still call for National honour,national honour ko national honour Ni, a gate was locked and there was a cordon on it which simply mean no entry and our own legislators force their way in,anoda legislator says dey are heroes of democracy,and dey deserve national honour?where is dat in our constitution?what has dese people made to better our lives?dese people force dere way in and signed impeachment notice?isn't dat funny?All APC agenda is to hijack d power and interpret in dere own language,if climbing dat gigantic gate means heroes den thiefs jumping to rob shouldn't be arrested na.pls my people we need to seriously check dis pipu before we vote Dem.
ReplyDelete