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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Members of House of Representatives, yesterday, condemned the alleged plot by some persons to install an interim government in the country.
The members, who were contributing to debate on a motion by Unyime Idem, calling on the House to condemn the alleged plot by some persons to install an interim government, charged the security agencies to take steps to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.
The lawmakers cautioned politicians, who are aggrieved with the outcome of the last general election against heating up the polity, while they await the verdict of the court on the poll.
Department of State Security (DSS) had, last week, said it was aware of an alleged plot by some persons to install an interim government in the country.
However, Idem, in his motion, said the 1999 Constitution (as amended) prescribed a four-year tenure for the president, with election as the avenue for a change of leadership in the country.
“Interim government is undemocratic, unconstitutional, and unknown to our laws as a court of competent jurisdiction had, in time past, so declare,” he said.
He expressed worry that if the alleged plot succeeds, “it will result in anarchy, with a price many generations after us will continue to pay for.”
Sergius Ogun, while contributing to debate, charged the security agencies to perform their duties by arresting and prosecuting those behind the alleged plot to foist an interim government on the country.
The lawmaker said it is a waste of time for parliament to be debating on non-existent issue, at a time where citizens are killed daily by hunger and bandits.
Ogun said: “Year in, year out in this House, we budget billions of naira to the office of the National Security Agency (NSA) and other security arms. Is it not a shame that the security agents would come out and say they have the names of people that have mooted this type of government in this country, you will not arrest and prosecute them?
“You are wasting our precious time telling us to condemn it. If this government is alive to its responsibilities, this should not even be an issue that will we will be dissipating energy on in this House.”
Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, who presided over yesterday’s plenary, said he does not believe that the DSS is being speculative. He said if it had gone ahead to make arrests, it would have seemed as if government was repressive.
“I do not want to believe the DSS is being speculative. For good reasons, understand that we are under a democratic tenet, when they are mentioning this—the situation we have found ourselves, we must talk to ourselves to ensure the right thing is done.
“If they had gone ahead to make arrest, it would have been that the government in power is being repressive. It is not out of order to debate this, and back the security in their action to stability,” Wase said.
