By Joe Egbodo
Abuja
Members of the House of Representatives yesterday turned down a motion seeking an investigation into the alleged harassment of northerners
in the south-eastern part of Nigeria.
Chairman of the Committee on Education, Aminu Suleiman, had risen
through a point of order under matters of urgent public importance implored to House to suspend the relevant rules of, and subsequently take the matter for immediate debate.
He alleged that there had been reported profiling, harassment and illegal detention of persons of northern extraction in states in the South-east, urging an urgent intervention as well as investigation.
But when the request was subjected to a voice vote by the presiding Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, on whether the matter was urgent and important enough to be so considered, members voted in the negative.
The decision to block the debate may not be unconnected with the religious and ethnic sensitivity of the matter, as there had been wide condemnation of the allegation, flowing from the arrest by the military, of over 400 traders traveling to Port Harcourt recently, some of whom were alleged to be members of the Boko Haram sect.
Deputy Minority Leader, Suleiman Kawu Sumaila, had, in his reaction earlier, condemned the reported decision of some South-east states to register all northerners living in their domains, specifically describing the recent move by the Imo state government as “unconstitutional” and “provocative” with the warning of reprisal in the North.
The lawmaker in a statement containing his reaction had stated: “These kinds of actions are misguided, unfortunate and highly provocative. I strongly condemn it and warn those propagating it to desist from such paths of perdition.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)
guarantees freedom of movement for all citizens no matter their ethnic group, religion or section, therefore any attempt to compel our people to register in Imo or any other state for that matter is a gross infringement of their fundamental human right to liberty and violation of the Constitution.
“Nigerians need to be reminded that there are millions of Igbo people in all nooks and crannies of the North who are engaged in genuine businesses. These are law-abiding Nigerians who are our friends and we have for long continued to offer assistance to them on individual and collective basis. This relationship should not be destroyed at this point in time.”
