Reps Accost Ihedioha Over Plenary Ruling.

 

The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Emeka Ihedioha was yesterday saved from assault when lawmaker Tijjani Jobe Abdulkadir (ANPP, Kano) tried to engage him in fisticuffs.

But for the timely intervention of Hon Friday Itulah (PDP, Edo) who put himself in between the two, Abdulkadir who blocked the deputy speaker at the corridor of the National Assembly would have thrown a punch at him

The deputy speaker had a disagreement with some members of the House for allegedly being dictatorial.

The whole problem started  when Ihedioha ruled in favour of a bill entitled, “A Bill For Act to Amend the Industrial Training Fund Act Cap 19 (No.47 Of 1971) for the Purpose of Empowering the Fund to Design, Set Up and Operate Guidelines for the Training, Certification Nationwide at State, Local Government and Ward Levels, and to Establish Area Registries for Maintaining Up-Date-Registers of Certified Artisans and Technicians in all Fields and in All Parts of the Federation”, which the lawmakers had reportedly voted ‘nay’ during consideration of bills in the plenary session.

Members were not happy at his action, saying there was an hidden agenda, an interest he was protecting. The bill was meant for second reading, and was sponsored by Chudi Uwazuruike.

Among other reasons, members had opposed the passage of the bill for attempting to duplicate the functions of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

Tempers flared when, despite the obvious higher votes against the bill the first time,  Ihedioha took a second vote on the ground that the first vote was unclear and put the question a second time to which the ‘nays’ appeared to be in the majority.

Rather than rule in favour of the ‘nays’, the deputy speaker consulted briefly with the deputy clerk of the House before proceeding to rule win favour of the bill.

Hon Ali Madaki (PDP, Kano) thereafter raised a point of order to ask him to divide the House according to the House Standing Rules to the correct vote.