Saraki lacks constitutional right to summon PS
– Senator

JULY 12, 2015

The Senator representing Zamfara Central
Senatorial District, Kabir Marafa, said on Sunday
that the Senate President lacked both moral and
constitutional rights to summon the Permanent
Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, for briefing
on the state of the economy.

Marafa, the spokesperson for the Senate Unity
Forum, who stated this in a statement issued in
Abuja, noted that since Saraki had allegedly
violated some sections of the constitution to
emerge as senate president on June 9, he cannot
accuse another person of committing the same
offence he had committed.

Our correspondent had reported that the decision
of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry
of Finance and other top officials to decline an
invitation extended to them by the leadership of
the National Assembly for a briefing on the state
of the nation’s economy last week was currently
brewing a major face-off between the two arms of
government.

Our correspondent had also reported that the
Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Senator Issa
Galaudu, and the Clerk to the National Assembly,
Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, wrote separate letters to
the permanent secretary but were both allegedly
ignored.

The permanent secretary, according to sources
close to the leadership of the Senate, was said to
have shunned the meeting because there was no
clearance from the Presidency to honour the
briefing.

The Clerk’s letter, which was copied the Head of
Service of the Federation and obtained by our
correspondent read, “I refer to our letter Ref. No.
NASS/S//SP/ COS/CORRP/15/1/06 of June 29,
2015 on the above subject matter and your text
message of July 7, 2015, to the Chief of Staff to
the Senate President, signifying your inability to
honour the invitation.

“Your action is a deliberate violation of the
provisions of Section 67(2) of the Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999( as
amended).

“You are, therefore, requested to appear before the
Senate Leadership as contained in your
aforementioned letter on Wednesday July 8, 2015
at 2.00pm prompt.

“The third letter to the Permanent Secretary, which
also insisted on the importance of the meeting,
was written by the Chief of Staff to the Senate
President. Galaudu’s letter, which was dated July
8, with reference number, NASS /8 th /S/SP/COS/
CORRP/15/2/07, states, ‘Please note that your
text message of yesterday, Tuesday, July 7, 2015,
which I received by hours of 20:02 pm,
suggesting that you would not make today’s
meeting, is unacceptable.’

“This is an affront to the President of the Senate
and its leadership. The provision of Section 67(2)
of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is very
clear and unambiguous in this regard. Hence, you
do not need the permission of any official before
you attend or appear before the Senate.
“Consequently, I have the instructions of the
President of the Senate and leadership that you do
spear before them on the date and time earlier
communicated to you, Wednesday, July 8,
2015 by 11am prompt. It is my belief that you will
comply unconditionally.”

Investigations by our correspondent further
revealed that the the Permanent Secretary had yet
to appear before the senate leadership nor
responded to the letters from both the National
Assembly management and the office of the
Senate President.

But Marafa, in his statement, accused Saraki of
violating the same constitution which he claimed
the permanent secretary had run foul of.
The senator said, “I read with open-mouth
amazement, the letter written by both the Chief of
Staff to the Senate President and that of the Clerk
to the National Assembly on the refusal or
inability of a government functionary to honour
the invitation of the leadership of the senate.

“They were saying the refusal violates section
67(2) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. Can somebody please tell them that they
are guilty of similar, if not higher, offence?
“They, infact, not only violated the constitution to
ascend to the Senate leadership, they murdered
it !”
www.punchng.com/news/saraki-lacks-constitutional-right-to-summon-ps-senator/

Izzokay

Mind game but the NASS is gonna win. All PS involved are sitting on gun powders.

CUM4WHAT:
Y

topearos:
K

YK?

Constitutional right?
This fight for superiority should stop for God's sake. PMB should not soil his hands oo...he should call these people to order oo and most importantly, APC should put their house in order because division is a catalyst for failure. The broom is progreaaively being loosened.

With due respect to Senator Marafa, does it now mean we should all throw the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the dust bin just because according to you the SP violated it in the first place? I dont think two wrongs will make a right (i.e. assuming the SP is wrong).

By this act it means you are telling Nigerians not to expect anything useful from the 8th Senate...God forbid because #naijashallriseagain #inthefullnessoftime

MKO4ever:



YK?

. Do not bother to negotiate, the plot is too expensive. Kindly bear with me.

Okay

We don't have senate leadership, no senate president or dsp, till .....

Let him feel how Osinbajo felt when he called him a mere commissioner

abduljabbar4:
Let him feel how Osinbajo felt when he called him a mere commissioner

Saraki is now a mere senate president

Dis saraki guy is biting more than he can chew. he totally forgot that "what is good for the goose, is also good for the gander" This is what I call political double standard!!!

Saraki = Judas Iscariot

He Summoned the Perm. Secretary cos he couldn't get audience with the President and so he is now looking for way to have conflict with the president.

Unfortunately he can't do anything cos him and his rest PDP teamates do not have 2/3 majority to remove a permanent secretary. Meanwhile, the senate leadership has not been constituted o.

Saraki = Judas Iscariot

Martins301:
Saraki = Judas Iscariot

He Summoned the Perm. Secretary cos he couldn't get audience with the President and so he is now looking for way to have conflict with the president.

Unfortunately he can't do anything cos him and his rest PDP teamates do not have 2/3 majority to remove a permanent secretary. Meanwhile, the senate leadership has not been constituted o.

Saraki = Judas Iscariot

2/3 majority? please it is too early to act this foolish...with all due respect.

Saraki definitely does not hv tht power.

That power resides with the senate or its standing committee. I dont think we have withnessed any senate sitting where a motion to invite the Permanent Secretary was advanced. The senate is not in session.

...Saraki's decision with some other principal members to have the Permanent Secretary to privately brief them on the state of the Nation's finances is fishy and should be condemned. Infact I won't be surprised if this private briefing is not about funding for their wardrobe allowance.

If they dont have anything to hide, let them invite the PS to brief the whole senate, or the senate committee on finance which the selfish Saraki is yet to constitute due to his adjoning sitting to a date convenient to only himself and his cohorts at the detriment of the nation.

Aspireahead:

2/3 majority? please it is too early to act this foolish...with all due respect.

and its too early to be acting like a dumbass. . .with all due respect.

topearos:
Mind game but the NASS is gonna win. All PS involved are sitting on gun powders.

Civil servants are smarter than u think. They know they cannot be sacked by NA. The National Assembly can only 'recommend' their dismissal. This recommendation can be ignored by the Executive just the same way GEJ ignored the recommendation to sack Otteh.

Saraki had better start preparations to decamp to his collabo partners party, the PDP, coz it doesn't look good for him with the APC at all, especially when one considers that he still doesn't enjoy the loyalty and support of his party senators and the executive.