Civil society organizations give Senate ultimatum to recall Ali Ndume

A non-governmental group, the Network of Civil Society Organizations (NCSO) has faulted the recent suspension of former Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, by the upper legislative chamber, with a call for his immediate recall.

The NCSO, which made the call in a statement issued in Abuja, has given the Senate one week to recall Senate Ndume, with a threat that if the call is not heeded, it will be compelled to take other measures against the upper chamber.

Senator Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, was last week suspended for six months by the Senate for making some allegations that he could not substantiate.

The Network of Civil Society Organizations, in the statement signed by its Chairman, Ali Abacha, noted that the Senate is fast losing its integrity and bringing the entire country into ridicule.

According to the NCSO, “It is worthy of mention here that there is no section of the Senate rules that requires the Senator to do due diligence on any matter before bringing it to the floor of the Senate.

“Importantly also, the fact that the Senate did not rule Senator Ndume out of order means that it is the entire Senate that should take the blames and not Senator Ndume only.

“The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is fast losing its integrity and bringing the entire country to ridicule as we wonder and ponder if the Senate is for a few interests or for the entire nation as their activities lately are tantamoun to a near anarchy situation. The suspension of Senator Ali Ndume

came as though the Senate was on a vengeance mission.

“Rather than this clear case of witch hunting, Senator Ali Ndume should be commended for drawing that attention of the Senate to issues that are fast eroding the integrity and sanctity of the upper house.

“Consequently, the Network of Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria hereby demand that the Senate recall Senator Ali Ndume within one week of this press statement. We as civil society organizations would be compelled to take other measures if the Senate does not comply with our demand”, it said.

The NCSO pointed out that the suspension of Ndume implied that the entire electorate in Borno South have been deprived of any representation in the Senate for the next six months, stressing therefore that the democracy, which the Rule of Law is hinged on is now grossly being violated as the votes of the entire electorate in the Borno South senatorial district would be of no effect for the next six months.