REP PROTESTS INCLUSION IN JONATHAN’S INDEPENDENCE PUBLICATION OCTOBER 3, 2013 BY JOHN AMEH, A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Mohammed Onawo, on Wednesday protested the inclusion of his name in a publication congratulating President Goodluck Jonathan on Nigeria’s 53 Independence anniversary. Onawo, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party from Nasarawa State, protested on the floor of the House at the session presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal. He said his “grouse” was that he was not consulted before his name was listed as one of those who signed the publication. The congratulatory message appeared on the October 1 edition of some newspapers (The PUNCH not included) and was sponsored by lawmakers loyal to the main PDP. The names of about 140 members appeared on the publication, including Mr. Bethel Amadi, who is the anchor man of the bloc in the House. “I was not consulted before they published my name in that publication. It is being insinuated that the names in the publication were those who collected $25,000. I need to raise this issue to make it clear that my name was included in that publication without my consent,” Onawo stated. He accused the group of dividing the PDP members in the House by saying “we, the PDP members”, when some of the lawmakers listed were not consulted before the publication. Tambuwal quickly intervened to prevent the matter from generating more comments from members. However, he advised that while it was the right of any group to publish messages of congratulations, members whose names appeared on such publications must first be consulted. “You have to seek the consent of persons you are including in the publication before you go ahead with it,” Tambuwal added. Onawo later told journalists that he had been inundated with calls by his constituents, who were asking for their own share of the $25,000. Asked which factions of the PDP he belonged, Onawo replied that he was simply “a member of the PDP.” He added that there was “one PDP”, which was embroiled in crisis. But, Onawo spoke with journalists in company with the Leader of the New PDP in the House, Mr. Andrew Uchendu.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 07:54:41 +0000
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