Abiola : 3rd republic senator demands payment of sacked NASS members’ entitlements
From Steve Oko, Umuahia
As the controversy sparked by President Muhammadu Buhari’s recognition of MKO Abiola as the winner of the June 12 presidential election is yet to subside, one of the senators whose tenure was truncated by the subsequent ex- Gen. Sani Abacha coup, Senator Emma Nwaka, has demanded that all the affected National Assembly members be paid arrears of their full entitlements for “the unexpired period of their tenure”.
Senator Nwaka who represented Abia North in the short-lived National Assembly, said the only way Buhari would prove that his intention in recognising Abiola as the winner of the presidential poll was not to boost his chances in the 2019 election was to also pay the full salaries and allowances of all NASS members whose tenure was truncated by the military interruption.
A release issued yesterday by the ex-lawmaker urged Buhari to be courageous enough to extend the gesture to all the elected NASS members who were yet to serve out their term before the military struck, otherwise, his action could be seen as a calculated political strategy for his second term bid.
The statement read in part: “What rankles really is that this otherwise appropriate line of action is coming at a time the popularity of President Buhari’s Administration is waning at a fast rate which have caused most right thinking Nigerians to believe that the exercise is designed to shore up the image of the APC government .
“Be that as it may, it will help if the government goes the whole hog. One thing for sure, the 1993 election was acclaimed to be the freest in the annals of Nigeria history. Aside from the presidential election which was annulled , other democratically elected structures like the National and State Houses of Assembly were unconstitutionally sent packing.
“Of course, it will be asking for too much to expect President Buhari, who ostensibly appears set to etch his name in our democratic Hall of Fame, to re-instate the said structures.
“One thing he can do to demonstrate that he means well is to pay the salaries and allowances of members of those bodies at today’s rate for the unexpired period of their term which was unjustifiably truncated by Abacha, the President’s hero and benefactor.”
From Steve Oko, Umuahia
As the controversy sparked by President Muhammadu Buhari’s recognition of MKO Abiola as the winner of the June 12 presidential election is yet to subside, one of the senators whose tenure was truncated by the subsequent ex- Gen. Sani Abacha coup, Senator Emma Nwaka, has demanded that all the affected National Assembly members be paid arrears of their full entitlements for “the unexpired period of their tenure”.
Senator Nwaka who represented Abia North in the short-lived National Assembly, said the only way Buhari would prove that his intention in recognising Abiola as the winner of the presidential poll was not to boost his chances in the 2019 election was to also pay the full salaries and allowances of all NASS members whose tenure was truncated by the military interruption.
A release issued yesterday by the ex-lawmaker urged Buhari to be courageous enough to extend the gesture to all the elected NASS members who were yet to serve out their term before the military struck, otherwise, his action could be seen as a calculated political strategy for his second term bid.
The statement read in part: “What rankles really is that this otherwise appropriate line of action is coming at a time the popularity of President Buhari’s Administration is waning at a fast rate which have caused most right thinking Nigerians to believe that the exercise is designed to shore up the image of the APC government .
“Be that as it may, it will help if the government goes the whole hog. One thing for sure, the 1993 election was acclaimed to be the freest in the annals of Nigeria history. Aside from the presidential election which was annulled , other democratically elected structures like the National and State Houses of Assembly were unconstitutionally sent packing.
“Of course, it will be asking for too much to expect President Buhari, who ostensibly appears set to etch his name in our democratic Hall of Fame, to re-instate the said structures.
“One thing he can do to demonstrate that he means well is to pay the salaries and allowances of members of those bodies at today’s rate for the unexpired period of their term which was unjustifiably truncated by Abacha, the President’s hero and benefactor.”
About The Author
More Stories
Ex-PDP chairman, Nwaka joins APC
Damagum cautioned against sponsoring media propaganda to blackmail Wabara
POLITICS: 2027 and the gathering of Abia political vampires