House of Representatives Speaker,
Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday tongue-lashed a lawmaker from Benue state,
Hon. Mark Terser Gbilah representing Gwer-East/Wager-West federal constituency
over unsavory comments made in the media against him and others.
The verbal chastisement by the
Speaker came on the heels of motion on a matter of privileges brought by Hon.
Pat Asadu, who prayed the House to investigate an alleged breach of his
privilege and those of his colleagues from Enugu and Ebonyi state by the
Benue-born legislator.
Asadu while moving the motion had
cited a publication in Sun newspaper wherein Gbillah was quoted as maligning
both the governors of Enugu and Ebonyi states that they instructed members from
their States to work against PDP’s choice in the speakership election.
He also quoted the member as
saying that the PDP should discipline the two governors for working against the
party.
Asadu said Gbillah’s comments
questions his right as an elected representative of his people.
He said his privilege and those
of Enugu and Ebonyi caucus were breached as he finds the assertions
“unacceptable, provocative and offensive”.
He called on the House to refer
the matter to the committee on ethics and privileges for investigation.
Deputy majority leader, Hon. Toby
Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) also reacted to the publication, saying that the
comments cast aspersions on his credibility as a member elected to represent
his people.
He said it was ‘uncharitable’ for
a member of the House to bring in an extraneous person in matters of the parliament.
According to him, the said
member, Mark Gbilah had no capacity to make allegations because he couldn’t
remember being told by his governor how to vote on the floor of the house.
At this point, Gbajabiamila
intervened saying: “let me say that Hon mark Gbilah, of late you’ve been making
several unsavory comments both in prints and on TV, many of which touched me,
my personal integrity.
“You’ve made these comments
without recourse to the rights of the people you talk about to protect their
privacy.
”If you remember Hon. Mark
Gbilah, not too long ago, there were very weighty allegations levelled against
you, very weighty allegations! And all of us in this House, particularly me,
rose in unison to defend you because those allegations were made without proof.
“But all of a sudden, you turn
around and begin to make issues out of nothing all in the name of politics,”
Gbajabiamila noted.
He, however, urged his colleagues
to let the issue go as the erring member would be warned to desist from making
further derogatory comments.
“So Hon. Colleagues, I want us to
let this lie in the spirit of reconciliation so that Hon Mark Gbilah would take
stocks of what he’s said and how they affect the integrity of colleagues and
the House in general.
“And that it also serves as a
window of reflection on his part that everyone has the right to protect and
that when violated by unguarded utterances could lead to consequences.
“So Hon Mark Gbilah, let this be
the last time we will hear of things like these from you and any other member
because if we do, we would be applying the rules as deemed necessary”, the
speaker warned.
The motion for investigation was
therefore withdrawn.
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