Revealed!  How the  Senate set the stage for maze snatching scandal

The Nigerian Senate may have inadvertently set the stage for today’s maze snatching scandal that it suffered.

This is because the action allegedly masterminded by Senate Ovie Omo-Agege could be a desperate attempt at self help after the Senate had frustrated all attempts to seek redress in through lawful means.                                                                       A lawyer and former member of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon. Babatunde Ogala, who shed lights on the issue, condemned the act of desecrating the hallowed chambers of the Senate.  It will be recalled that a suspended Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege had allegedly led ’some thugs into the Senate chambers  and forcible snatched the maze-the symbol of authority of the Senate.

Ogala who spoke on Wednesday said the development was an unfortunate incident in the Senate arm of the National Assembly .

The public affairs analyst said, “It is a highly condemnable act of brigandage and assault not just on the legislature but the constitution. It is sheer anarchy.

“But in so saying, one must note with  sadness that the Senate set the stage for the madness and anarchy with the suspension of Senator Omo-Agege in flagrant disregard of the Senate Rules and Orders of Court.

“And why do I say so? The rules of the Senate has expressly provided that once a matter is pending before a court of law, the Senate shall not deliberate on same or do any act that may interfere with the proceedings of the court.”

He argued further that Senator Omo-Agege had gone to court and obtained an order of Court to restrain the Senate and its Committee on Ethics and Privileges from taking further steps on the investigations of his conduct pending the determination of the suit.

But that despite receiving the Order of Court , the Senate at plenary rather than stay action proceeded to  condemn the order of Court and abuse the judge who granted the order .

“The Senate even had the temerity to adopt a motion to write and indeed wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria threatening and asking him to call judges to order.

“And as if that was not enough, it still went ahead to invite the senator who, when he attended the  committee sitting, declined to speak and reminded the committee of the order of Court and also  reminded it of the provision of the Senate rules that prohibits it from deliberating on a matter that’s lis pendis”.

And that notwithstanding the order of court and it’s rules,  the Senate set both aside and went on to suspend Senator Omo-Agege.

Senator Representing Delta North was suspended for 90 legislative days which mean he can’t be in the senate till March 2019.

“I will also want to recall that before the instant case,   the Federal High Court had earlier delivered a judgement in Senator Ali Ndume v National Assembly  and ruled that the Senate or any legislative house  had no constitutional powers to suspend an elected  member for more than 14 days and therefore declared Ndumes suspension as  unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.

“The Senate being aware of its own rules, the judgement in Ali Ndume case and the court order in Omo – Agege case still went ahead to purpoetedly suspend the senator.

This Ogala said is condemnable