The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Ireti Kingibe, on Thursday stormed out of the Senate chamber after the Senate President Godswill Akpabio refused to allow her to present a motion on demolitions in the nation’s capital....TAP TO READ THE FULL CONTENT | TAP TO READ THE FULL CONTENT
Recall that in recent months, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), under the leadership of Nyesom Wike, has been demolishing “illegally” constructed estates and shanties in the FCT, noting that they pose a threat to security.
Kingibe had on Wednesday notified the Senate of her motion on the need to probe the ongoing demolitions and it was agreed that the matter would be discussed the following day.
Her motion, however, was not listed on the order paper, prompting her to draw the attention of her colleagues to the matter.
Akpabio then said the Senate could not take more than one motion on matters of urgent public importance.
“We took a matter of urgent public importance and by our rules we should only take one a day.
“What I am saying is that you can always raise it, and when you raise it we can put the question to our colleagues, sometimes they would say bring it as a formal motion the next day.
“It is not on the order paper…so it does not appear that women are marginalised, senate leader can you refer us to the proceedings of the Senate?
“Because some of these things are about procedure. The Senate cannot go up and down. If we have already started the orders of the day we cannot go back” Akpabio said.
Thereafter, Kingibe stormed out of the red chamber in annoyance.
She would later return to the chamber and apologise for walking out on her colleagues.
Kingibe was then allowed to move her motion and the Senate resolved to probe the demolitions in the FCT.
