Moves by the President of the Senate, David Mark and his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu to set up a special judicial panel of enquiry to probe the management of the health and hospitalization of the late President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from November 23, 2009 to May 5, 2010, were rejected by majority of Senators at a valedictory session on Tuesday.
The senators, however, urged the Federal Government to name a befitting public institution after the late President Yar’Adua, just as they resolved to send two delegations to commiserate with President Jonathan and the Yar’Adua family as well as observed one-minute silence in honour of the deceased.
Accordingly, the Senate set up two separate delegations to pay condolence visits to President Jonathan and the other to commiserate with the family of the late President Yar’Adua, the government and people of Katsina State.
The delegation members to pay condolence to President Jonathan, which is headed by Mark include Senators Zaynab Kure, Ahmed Mohammed, Ndoma-Egba, Patrick Osakwe, Lee Maeba, Kanti Bello, Mujitaba Mallam, Ahmed Maccido, Enyinaya Abaribe, Ikechukwu Obiora, Ayogu Eze, Gbenga Ogunniya, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, Munirudeen Muse, Maina Ma’aji Lawan, Jibril Aminu and Abdullahi Idris Umar.
The second delegation to visit the Yar’Adua family in Katsina to be led by Ekweremadu includes Senators Anyim Ude, Sylvester Anyanwu, Teslim Folarin, Iyiola Omisore, Sola Akinyede, Bob Effiong, Heineken Lokpobiri, Ehigie Uzamere, Ahmed Sani Yarima, Abubakar Gada, Caleb Zagi, Muhammad Mana, Anthony Manzo, John Shagaya, Abubakar Sodangi and Smart Adeyemi.
In a motion at a special valedictory session in honour of the late President, Senator Ekweremadu noted that the deceased’s health was shrouded in unwarranted secrecy and mismanaged by his aides, thereby leaving the people in the dark as to the true state of his condition and cause of his death.
According to Senator Ekweremadu; “in spite of his enormous goodwill, the last days of President Yar’Adua was to say the least, controversial for no fault of his. His illness and hospitalisation were badly managed by his aides and close associates. The half truth, deceit and secrecy orchestrated from November 23, 2009 when he was flown out on medical vacation to the time of his death were an insult and embarrassment to the whole country.”
The Deputy Senate President, therefore, stressed that there was the need for the Federal Government to set up a judicial panel of enquiry to look into the management of the health and hospitalisation of the late Yar’Adua, stressing that the nation deserved to know exactly what happened to its president as well as to put speculation to rest.
As a way of supporting the position of his Deputy, Mark, while presenting his speech marking the end of the valedictory session, said the nation was deprived of adequate information on the situation of the late president throughout the period of his illness despite that he was a public figure.
According to Senator Mark; “this unfortunately provided a fertile ground for mischief-makers, rumour-mongers and spin doctors of all kinds to feed the nation with fairy tales. We were expectantly waiting for the resumption in office of our President having been assured at various times that he was recuperating, only to be confronted with the shocking news of his death.
“Clearly, the Federal Government owes the nation an explanation on the shortcomings surrounding the management and handling of our late President when he took ill. The Federal Government must provide answers to these questions to avoid a repeat in future.”
However, in spite of his attempt to persuade his colleagues, majority of the Senators opposed the position of the Senate President and that of his Deputy, insisting that an investigation into the matter was totally unnecessary and could create avoidable and unwarranted controversy.
In his contribution, Senator Abubakar Umar Gada (PDP, Sokoto), who is a leading member of the National Interest Group (NIG), questioned the wisdom in carrying out an enquiry without a post-mortem, stressing that from every imagination it would be very difficult for any team to go to the Katsina graveyard to exhume his body.
Also opposing the panel, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora (AC, Lagos) said the move was absolutely unnecessary as it would make it look as if there were doubts surrounding the cause of his death. He added that as a medical doctor, he was aware that the late President died of terminal illness.
Also speaking on the matter, Deputy Senate Majority Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), said the late President was not just a private individual but the property of Nigeria, thus the people were entitled to know the circumstances of his ill-health and death.
At the end of the debate on the pros and cons of a judicial panel of enquiry, the Senate President put the question to vote and an overwhelming majority of Senators at the plenary voted against the probe.
...Reps eulogise him
From JAMES OJO, Abuja
A shower of eulogies poured for the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua yesterday in the House of Representatives as speaker after speaker extolled his virtues. He died in Abuja last Wednesday.
At the end of the eulogies, the Speaker, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, pledged the support of the House to President Goodluck Jonathan in his quest to move the country forward and leave lasting legacies.
A motion to send a powerful delegation to be led by the Speaker to commiserate with the Yar’Adua family and the people of Katsina State was later moved by the House Leader, Tunde Akogun and passed by the House.
In Bankole’s words: “The House of Representatives is resolutely committed to supporting President Goodluck Jonathan in his obvious quest to leave lasting legacies of good governance, electoral reforms, vigorous anti-corruption campaign and overall improvement in the wellbeing of the people of Nigeria.”
He said the House was encouraged and motivated by President Jonathan’s declaration in his inaugural address that he was totally committed to good governance, while the issue of electoral reform and the fight against corruption would be pursued with vigour.
While stressing that the President’s declaration was in tandem with the legislative agenda of the House, Bankole pledged that the lawmakers would give full support to whoever President Jonathan nominated for the position of Vice President.
The Speaker described Yar’Adua as a man with the rarest attributes of humility, gracefulness, compassion and transformative leadership, adding that the deceased’s unwavering commitment to a holistic transformation of the country was aptly captured in his administration’s comprehensive reformation agenda.
Earlier, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Usman Nafada, who opened the floodgate of eulogies, described the late President Yar’Adua as an honest and transparent leader who did not get involved in any corrupt practices both as governor of Katsina State and the President of Nigeria.
Nafada said Yar’Adua’s amnesty programme restored peace in Niger Delta, an action, he said restored the hope of the People of the Niger Delta area to transform the area ravaged by the activities of oil explorers.
In their speeches, the former Speakers of the House of Representatives between 1979 and 1983 and between 1992 and 1993 respectively, Chiefs Edwin Ume-Ezeoke and Agunwa Anaekwe, described Yar’Adua as a great man who had the wellbeing of Nigeria and Nigerians at heart.
Both speakers unanimously agreed that the late President Yar’Adua did not only bring good leadership into the nation’s governance but also imbibed democracy throughout his lifetime.
Also speaking, former Speakers Benjamin Chaha, Ghali Umar Na’abba and Aminu Bello Masari all extolled the virtues of the late Yar’Adua and appealed to Nigerian leaders to build on the legacies he left behind as a mark of honour and respect for him.
Masari noted that the best way to honour the late president was to uphold the legacies he left behind in enthroning electoral reforms, rule of law and peace in the Niger Delta.
Former leaders of the House including Chief Mao Ohuabunwa and Abdul Ningi described the death of Yar’Adua as a big minus for development efforts of Nigeria, stating that he died contributing to the development of his fatherland and also asked Nigerians to emulate his legacies.
Former Deputy Minority Whip, Hon Haruna Yerima praised the late president for what he did in areas of education as governor of Katsina state at a time, he alleged, that some other governors were stealing public money.
First female Speaker, Hon Olubunmi Etteh in her remark which drew applause from her loyalists, said the late president was a gentle and honest man, who was compassionate in making history in the Niger Delta struggle.
