- CSO demands compensation for assaulted bolt driver
Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abass has been charged to call lawmakers to order, following an assault on a bolt driver by a member of the House, Alex Ikwechegh.
The counsel was given by the National Civil Society of Nigeria (NCSCN), and the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja.
NCSCN Director of Programme, Oscar Kalu, also condemned the tongue lashing of the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, by the House Committee Chairman on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Aderemi Oseni, over the state of the roads.
Kalu said lawmakers should act with decorum as their constitutes look up to them for effective representation.
Aside commending Ikwechegh for his prompt apology due to the backlash that trailed his action, he insisted that the lawmaker should compensate the bolt driver
He said: “In one of the videos, Hon. Alex Ikwechegh, representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, was seen raining degrading words and serious threats to the life of a young Bolt Driver, Stephen Abuwatseya whose only sin was to request that Hon. Ikwechegh comes out of his house to receive a parcel sent via Courier.
“In the other more disturbing video, Aderemi A. Oseni, House Committee Chairman on FERMA, was seen in uncontrolled rage, tongue lashing and vituperatively addressing His Excellency, Dave Umahi, the Minister for Works, for what he assumed to be failure to deliver on mandate of Office.
“Instead of applying professional conduct and modesty, Hon. Oseni resorted to offensive assaults and defamatory assertions, such as stating that the Minister was incompetent, failure and unfit for the Office. He went on to question the criteria for the nomination of Engr. Dave Umahi as Honourble Minister for Works, thus casting aspersions at the Minister, and demeaning the sense of judgement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR in making sound decision and laudable choices.
“It is totally unacceptable for any civil and progressive mind to tolerate such abuse of an accomplished Engineer that was generally rated as one of the most performing past Governors in Nigeria in terms of Infrastructural Development and Resource Management, which undoubtedly informed the wise decision of President Tinubu to assign Engr. Dave Umahi to oversee the Ministry of Works.
“That the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas GCON, who is personally renowned for decorum, civility, and respect for all humanity irrespective of class or creed, to immediately step into this matter and call Hon. Aderemi Oseni to order and to issue disciplinary measures accordingly.”
NYCN National Deputy Secretary General, Rikki Nwajiofor, on his part said: “An ultimatum of 7 Working Days is hereby given for these remediations.
“After the expiration of the set ultimatum, we shall reel out our Action Plans and implement immediately, if no satisfactory steps have been taken in the aforementioned two matters.
“We wish to assure all Nigerians, especially the Youth of our beloved nation, who are making honest and concerted efforts to earn a living, that no one can intimidate us in our chosen careers. This nation belongs to us all.
“The Civil Society Council and the National Youth Council of Nigeria shall take up such matters, whenever they arise, and ensure that justice prevails.”
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