Executive Orders: We’re In Trouble Under Buhari – Senator Abaribe

The lawmaker representing Abia South in the National Assembly, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, has lamented that Nigerians were in trouble given the “controversial” executive orders recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“If this hallowed chamber cannot speak up here, then we might as well pack up. We are in trouble under this particular regime and it is our right under the constitution to fight for our human rights,” said Abaribe who made a contribution during deliberations by the Nigerian Senate on the several executive orders President Buhari signed into law recently.

Amongst them is the “Executive Order No.6’ which seeks to seize assets of persons facing corruption charges in the country.

The Senate’s deliberation followed a motion sponsored by Niger East Senator, David Umaru, who accused the Executive arm of the Federal Government of trying to usurp the constitutional powers of the Legislative arm.

Umaru said, “Executive orders have also effectively usurped legislative and judicial powers of the national assembly and the judiciary as enshrined respectively under sections 4 and 6 of the constitution.

“There is lack of accountability for human rights violations by security agencies and other militant elements including armed herdsmen, heavy-handed violent responses to peaceful protests as exemplified by previous crackdown an agitator for the Independent State of Biafra (1908) and the recent violent clashes between the police and suspected members of the IMN who were protesting the release of their leader, Ibrahim EL-Zakzaki in Abuja and Kaduna respectively,” said the senator who further alleged “state-inspired human rights violations and consistent constitutional infractions perpetrated by agencies of government.”

In his contribution, Senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna central said: “We may be comfortable today because we occupy this office but when we are out of this place, we are likely to fall victims.”

After the debate, the Senate resolved that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, appears before them to explain the president’s signing of the executive orders.