Deputy Speaker Under Attack For Rejecting Petition From Nigerians In Diaspora

Some Nigerians in the diaspora, Thursday, berated the deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Idris Wase, for shutting down the petition of Mutual Union of the Tiv in America because ‘they are far away’.

Recall that Mr Mark Terseer Gbillah, representing Benue Gwer east/Gwer west federal constituency, speaking on behalf of the Tiv in America on insecurity in Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states, was stopped from presenting the petition when Mr Wase, who presided over House proceedings last Thursday, ruled that ‘Nigerians in the diaspora have no right to send petitions to the House’.

According to him, “If they are Nigerians and living in Nigeria, I agree; but not somebody in America, who is far away from this country. I am not convinced that someone from America should come here and be delaying proceedings. I am not stopping that, but I am saying if they are Nigerians and living in Nigeria and bringing issues, I agree.”

In an interview with THE WHISTLER, US-based Emeka Igwe said, “There should be re-education of our people in power. I suggest we use this opportunity to start asking why the affairs of Nigeria are left in the hands of ignorant people. The deputy speaker does not know that the diaspora is bringing huge sums of money to support the drowning economy of Nigeria.

This ignorance on the part of that calibre of congressmen should stir up more petitions and lectures from the diaspora to wake both houses from their slumber. If they cannot see, hear and feel the impact of Nigerians in the diaspora and be very proud of who they have, they are not just blind, but deaf and dumb.”

Philip Achusim, also in America, submitted, “Nigeria is full of disappointments in regards to who are in positions of power. The deputy speaker just proved the point that he is an embarrassment. Wase thinks that Nigerian Americans are just Nigerians in America. Nigerians in America are Americans, with all the privileges of American citizenship! When Nigerian Americans speak, politicians listen.
“When you hit folks where it matters, they get your attention. Nigerians in the diaspora always talk of $23bn they transmit to Nigeria every year. They do not include the cash that diasporan folks carry with them when they visit. The $30bn that Nigerians in the diaspora remit to Nigeria every year would be suspended indefinitely until the deputy speaker resigns.”

In the view of Netherlands-based Jude Eze, “We are dealing with politically blinded individuals. It’s unfortunate that the deputy speaker is ignorant of the roles of Nigerians in the diaspora. Is it really worth fighting for when we all know that ignorance is a disease? For us to move forward, we need re-education of our people.”

Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie, a civil rights activist, said, “We are being dragged back by such senseless and mundane actions. Unfortunately people laugh over them while the rot persists. The diaspora should be a strong force in the Nigerian politics, and we should start by demanding immediate voting rights for them. Those in our political movement know that we gave the diaspora chapter the same status as the six geopolitical zones.

“Anyone with a Nigerian passport anywhere in the world should not be denied these rights in this 21st century. This shameful action of the deputy speaker is a very serious matter which should be given serious attention. The deputy speaker should be put on a spot. We shall use this legislative recklessness to push for full integration of Nigerians in the diaposra into our political equation. Ironically, Mr Wase is reportedly a graduate of Kennedy School of Government in Harvard. What did he learn at Harvard then?”

However, Mr Wase has said he based his statement on procedural errors. His aide, Umar Puma, said, “The crux of the encounter was on the legal identity of the petitioners and not on whether Nigerians in the diaspora have a right to petition the House or not.

“The House of Representatives belongs to all Nigerians and can be accessed by all Nigerians wherever they may reside. However, like other arms of government, petitioners must follow laid-down rules in presenting their petitions to the House, otherwise there would be lawlessness, disorder and chaos.

“Are the petitioners registered as an association with the Corporate Affairs Commission? If they are absent, and hearing was to be organized, who would the members of the Committee on Public Petition be interrogating? These and other technical complications were what the deputy speaker tried to interrogate.”