By Habib Yacoob & Tordue Salem ABUJA

SPEAKER Aminu Masari of the House of Representatives blocked, yesterday, a move to re-open on the floor of the House, impeachment process against President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Representative Bashir Nadabo (ANPP Katsina) had sought to re-open the matter when he raised Order 5, Rule 2 of the House with a view to reminding members about the impeachment move initiated by some Reps last year. At that time, the brains behind the impeachment had gone as far as collating signatures of those in support.

The leadership of the House then stepped in and constituted a committee headed by the House Leader, Alhaji Abdul Ningi to look into the alleged offences of the President. Although the committee is said to have completed its assignment, it is yet to submit its report. And as the House resumed sitting yesterday after the Christmas/Eid-el-Kabir/New Year break, Representative Nadabo asked the House to compel the committee to submit its report to enable members deliberate on it. Responding, Speaker Masari said the matter would not be discussed as it was not in the records of the House and that the issue was dismissed in the executive session.

€œTherefore, this issue can only be raised in an executive session Alhaji Masari said. But Nadabo insisted that based on the House Rules, he had the right to raise the issue as member. Chairman of the House Committee on Business and Rules, Mr. Eta Inang contributing said the order cited did not cover Nadabo since, in his words, the issue was not of privilege to the member. Nadabo said the pro-impeachment legislators had gathered more than 40 signatures and €œwe have got very solid assurances that by Wednesday next week, we are going to have about 130 members and we present the impeachment thing.
To commence an impeachment process, one third of members of the House (or 130 of the 360 members) must indicate by signing. Meanwhile, against the backdrop of fears that the April general elections might be postponed, Speaker Masari, yesterday, asked members to be vigilant so that they would not be caught unawares. Masari, who gave the advice, while addressing members of the House, on their resumption from a three-week break, said they could not afford to lax in their legislative duties particularly with the approach of the general elections.

€œAs you are aware, this is the last lap of our legislative term ending May 29, 2007. And this is the magic year 2007 when we are going to hold presidential, gubernatorial, national and state assembly elections, he said, adding: €œThis imposes on us serious legislative responsibilities. We have a duty to be vigilant so that any possible hitch requiring legislative intervention may be promptly addressed. Africa and indeed the world wait on Nigeria.
Though the speaker commended the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) so far, he charged it to abide by the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act. Reviewing the activities of the House since it s inauguration on June 3, 2003 to December 20, 2006, Masari said it had not done badly. He said within this period, about 299 bills were introduced, while 133 were passed and 161 motions and 224 petitions received and considered respectively. The Speaker explained that the House had contributed immensely towards the social, political and economic development of the country, promising that it would do more before the end of its tenure in May this year. Masari said to members;
€œI remind you again that this is 2007, pointing out that it was essential that they put God first in whatever they set out to achieve Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Vanguard Newspapers, Lagos