Senators Kabiru Marafa (APC Zamfara Central) and Ali Wakili (APC Bauchi Central) on Tuesday, November 17, threw caution to the wind and exchanged hot words which led to both of them dragging each others attires.
The altercation took place after Marafa walked out of plenary. He had raised a point of order on the composition of the Senate standing and special committees but he was ruled out of order by the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, This Day reports.
After he walked out of plenary, he went to the press centre to address journalists and was followed by Wakili who was vehement to stop him from briefing the press.
The two APC senators then engaged in a war of words and dragging of each each other’s attires. Below is what transpired between them:
Wakili: You have come here to disgrace the Senate again. Is this what you want to do for the next four years?
Marafa: I will, I will. Because I am not working for you.
Wakili: You cannot sit down there and fight against the Senate.
Marafa: I am representing Nigeria and representing my people. And let me tell you, even the nonsense thing they are saying about suspension, nobody can suspend a senator.
Wakili: You are playing to the gallery. You are playing your script. Who has ever spoken about your suspension?
Marafa: Let us talk about issues.
Wakili told Marafa he had discussed all the issues in today’s Mirror, to which Marafa replied, “Mirror, which kind Mirror? Ku samun Mirror (Get me National Mirror). I will respond to it. We raised issues. And we give orders and point of constitution order.”
Wakili asked if that was what his constituency sent him to do in the Senate and Marafa asked if he was one of the people from his constituency.
Wakili: We are talking of poverty, education. You are wasting your energy here on useless point of order. I am warning you.
Marafa: It is not useless. You can’t say that order is useless.
Wakili: I will go to your constituency and see what you have done there.
Marafa: Go back. I will go to your own. I was in politics before you when you were wearing uniform (both senators started dragging each other’s attire at this point).
Wakili: Gentlemen of the press, there are issues bedeviling this country…. (Marafa interrupts him).
Marafa then accused Wakili of supporting Saraki because he was made chairman of a committee, calling him a bloody newcomer.
To this Wakili replied: “Come, you are a storm in the Senate teacup and a gadfly.”
Marafa still dragging Wakili’s attire said reiterated that he was in politics when he (Wakili) was still wearing uniform
Wakili then asked him to let go of him, saying his long years of experience in the Senate has not helped him.
“The Senate rules says that where such a matter has been decided, you cannot raise it again,” he said.
Marafa responded: “That is nonsense! That is hypocrisy. The problem with Senate President is that he was unwilling to learn his job. In the four years he stayed there, he was absent most of the time.”
Angered by his response, Wakili told him he was too personal and it won’t help him, before they dis- banded.
Two weeks ago, the Senate announced 65 standing committees with the APC chairing 41 committees and the PDP chairing 24.
Marafa had last week told the Senate that because Saraki failed to subject the constitution of the committees to the approval of the Senate, the committees were illegal and non existent.
MeasureMeasure
No comments:
Post a Comment