Less than 24 hours after the investigative public hearing on the alleged assault meted against a female lawmaker, Onyemachi Mrakpor, the House Committee on Interior has concluded its findings and recommended the dismissal of Sergeant Idaa Odeh with service No: 40258, with immediate effect.
Odeh, one of the aides to Peter Ekpendu, comptroller-general of Prisons, allegedly assaulted the female lawmaker, on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at the entrance of the National Assembly complex.
The Committee in the 11-page report obtained by BusinessDay also recommended the arrest and trial of Odeh by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) in accordance with Section 16 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
Similarly, the Committee recommended that Corporal Esther Hassan, ASP Sunday Okoh of the Nigeria Police and Adeboye I. O of Department of State Services should be disciplined, immediately reprimanded and redeployed.
The Adams Jagaba’s Committee also recommended for urgent amendment of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act “as a matter of urgency to the effect that only the President, Vice President and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) or a visiting President can come into the premises of National Assembly with moderate convoy and penalties should be provided for offenders.”
Likewise, the Committee which noted that there was ‘gross negligence by the security staff posted to the National Assembly in the course of the incidence,’ called for urgent and “complete overhaul of the office of Sergeant-at-Arms.
“All the security personnel serving currently at the National Assembly gates including Sergeant-at-Arms staff should be redeployed.
“The ACG budget and finance who came down from his vehicle and confronted the Honourable is culpable under the Legislative (Powers and Privileges) Act and should therefore be disciplined.
“For refusal to appear before the Committee, DCG Usman Shehu Kangiwa service number 28446 is guilty of Section 11 of Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and for obstructing a member of Parliament within the precincts of the National Assembly, he is guilty of Section 16 of Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
“He (Kangiwa) should be arrested and tried in accordance with Section 11 and 16 of Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, by the AGF. He should be demoted from the rank lower than ACG.”
The Committee further urged that the Committee on Legislative Compliance should ensure strict compliance with all the recommendations and report back to the House within two weeks.
