Nigeria’s parliamentarians threw decorum and decency to the wind Tuesday as they engaged in fisticuffs to settle differences between opposing camps. The rowdy session arose from a decision of the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole to suspend 11 lawmakers that are members of the Progressives including the arrowhead Hon. Dino Melaye (PDP Kogi). The group of legislators had asked for a probe of the House leadership over alleged misappropriation of N9 billion capital votes appropriated to the lower chamber in 2008 and 2009. Recently, they gave Bankole a 7-day ultimatum to resign his position or risk being humiliated out of office. They went ahead to address a press conference last week, armed with documents alleging the Speaker has a case to answer. And they took another step by submitting a petition to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mrs. Farida Waziri, who promised to set up a committee to investigate the matter. But the Speaker descended on them heavily when the legislature resumed Tuesday. The leadership said they were suspended "For failing to adhere to the provisions of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act; Code of Conduct for honourable members and rules of the House in stating their grievances and for taking their matter to the public domain with a view to maliciously bringing the image of the House into disrepute.” Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh who addressed a press conference after the plenary, also hinged the decision to suspend the members, who incidentally are all of the ruling PDP, on the provisions of rules governing the House. The other members suspended are: Ehizogie West-Idahosa (PDP Edo), Independence Ogunewe (PDP Imo), Solomon Ahwinahwi (PDP Delta), Austin Nwachukwu (PDP Imo), Abba Anas Adamu (PDP Jigawa), Gbenga Oduwaiye (PDP Ogun), Kayode Amusa (PDP Ogun), Gbenga Onigbogi (PDP Osun), Bitrus Kaze (PDP Plateau) and Doris Uboh (PDP Delta). It was gathered that they will all remain suspended till the end of the current legislative session. The suspended members however, did not go down without a fight. The atmosphere was tense from the beginning and became highly charged as soon as the conventional preliminary proceedings of parliament were completed, giving way to legislative business of the day. Just before the first order of the day could be taken, Bankole recognised Hon. Chile Igbawua (PDP Benue) to take the floor. Igbawua announced that he had a motion bothering on a matter of privilege. As he was laying the foundation for the motion, Melaye rose from his seat to interrupt the presentation. From then on it became a shouting match between pro and anti-Bankole legislators, as other members of the Progressives also rose to challenge the motion. A group of lawmakers rushed to seize the mace, the symbol of authority of the parliament but the sergeant-at-arms grabbed it and made for the exit door behind the seat of the Speaker. Melaye who had all along been shouting “No way, no way, no way,” moved to Igbawua, seized the papers upon which the motion was written and tore it to shreds. The earlier shouts of defiance soon gave way to a ceaseless blast of whistles coming from Melaye and his colleagues. At this point, the proceedings on the motion were brought to a standstill as some pro-Bankole members engaged members of the Progressives nearest to them in a brawl. The first to go down was Hon. Chinyere Igwe who engaged Austin Nwachukwu in a fight and sustained a broken arm in the process. Igwe (PDP Rivers) was said to be in hospital as at press time. When the free-for-all degenerated, a motion for adjournment was quickly taken; Bankole hit the gavel and rose to leave the chamber. But Hon. Abdul Ningi and some principal officers prevailed upon him not to leave in the midst of the commotion but to thrash out the issue once and for all. Bankole heeded the advice. The mace was replaced and proceedings resumed again with the Speaker reading the prayers of the motion and announcing that the 11 members have been suspended. He was barely heard because the noise level had risen to a crescendo but his directive that the suspended members should leave the chamber became another test of might. Out of the 11 suspended members, only six were present in the chambers. However, due to their resistance to leave the chambers, Honourables Doris Uboh, Austine Nwachukwu, Solomon Ahwinahwi, Bitrus Kaze and Melaye were forced out one after the other. Some of them had their clothes torn in the process while the only female legislator wept profusely. Only Ogunewe escaped unhurt and unmolested. Even as the legislators were locked in their own battle, a separate commotion erupted at the press gallery as security operatives swooped on some photo-journalists who were taking snap shots of the session and seized their cameras. The rage was directed at Messrs Rotimi Akinwunmi (Daily Independent), Gbemiga Olamikan (Vanguard), Julius Toba (Compass). It came to a head when Wole Oladimeji (Compass) was being taken away by security operatives. At this stage, all media representatives at the gallery staged a walkout in solidarity with their colleagues who were being harassed in the course of carrying out their duties. Before descending into lawlessness, Igbawua had accused the Progressives of contravening the legislature's Powers and Privileges Act, Cap L12 Laws of the Federation 2004, which regulates the conduct of members established under the Constitution. By the provisions of Section 24 of the Act, any person who: a) publishes any statement, whether in writing or otherwise, which falsely or scandalously defames a Legislative House or any committee thereof; or b) publishes any writing reflecting on the character of the President or Speaker, as the case may be of a Legislative House or the Chairman of a Committee of a Legislative House in the conduct of his duty or; c)Publishes any writing containing a gross, willful or scandalous misrepresentation of the proceedings of a Legislative House or of the speech of any Member in the proceedings of a Legislative House, is guilty of an offence. According to Igbawua, any act or conduct capable of bringing disrepute to the House, its committee or any of its members and officials; or which in any way impairs or may likely impair the dignity and power of the legislative House, would constitute a punishable offence. “Honourable members, because of my great respect for this House, I am compelled to respond to the various actions of the Progressives under the leadership of Hon. Dino Melaye, that have embarrassed and cast aspersions on this Honourable House as a House incapable of resolving itself. “While relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution guarantee the freedom of opinion and expression, it must be done within the context of procedure so as not to infringe on the rights and privileges of others, in this case, members of the House. The recent attacks on the Speaker and principal officers of this honourable House on television and the pages of newspapers, has cast serious dent on the image of this Honourable House,” he said. Also, Dino and Nwachukwu (PDP, Imo) were being questioned by the police in Abuja yesterday. As at press time, they were at the FCT Police Command Headquarters to answer questions over their role in the commotion. While Nwachukwu was arrested for allegedly inflicting bodily harm on on Igwe, Melaye is being quizzed in connection with posters seized from an Abuja print shop last weekend. Melaye was alleged to be the brain behind the posters, which are said to be against Bankole. Spokesman of the FCT Police Command, Superintendent of Police (SP) Jimoh Moshood confirmed to THISDAY last night that Melaye and Nwachukwu were being quizzed by detectives. He however denied that they were arrested, saying “they are only being questioned over certain issues.” As at press time last night, the two lawmakers were still being held at the police headquarters. Credit: Thisdayonline.com