On Thursday, a member of the House of Representatives, Nicholas Ossai accused the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo Agege of using his position to block his bill on establishment of a tertiary institution in his constituency.
The lawmaker, who is also from Delta state as Omo-Agege, said that his bill was blocked because the Deputy Senate President is also sponsoring a bill on the same subject matter.
Ossai disclosed this to pressmen after his futile attempt to oppose the bill by Omo-Agege.
During the second reading of the bill by Omo-Agege, entitled “A Bill for an Act to Provide for Establishment of Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, Delta State; and for Related Matters (HB. 642) (Senate) (Leader).”
Ossai raised a constitution point of Order, Citing Section 14 of the 1999 constitution. But his point of over was over-uled by the presiding officer, Idris Wase.
Wase in his ruling faulted Ossai, “Don’t use language to confuse member.” Adding “You are misleading the House.”
Ossai during the press briefing after the bill was passed through second reading, said that Delta Central where Omo-Agege is from already has several federal institutions including the University of Petroleum, Effurun.
“My bill passed through this national assembly, the material is a material of Ossai Ossai, the material was stalled by the Deputy Senate President, ” he said.
Adding that “if the deputy senate president is preventing my motion from being read. He is attacking the House of Representatives, not Ossai, the material transmitted was not transmitted by Ossai, but by the House. We have a lot of respect for him. I am a Nigerian, one man cannot be bigger than 360 members of the House, neither can one man be bigger than 109 senators.”
He also said that the House shut him down, as he claimed that the bill by Omo-Agege is weak.
“The foundation of the senate bill is weak. And I was shutout, the voice of my people must be heard. And to tell senate, one man can not be bigger than you. That’s what I am telling the senate, one man, no matter the position he held, he is not bigger than 109 senatorial zones in our country. Whereby somebody sits at the high table and trample down on others, it does not make sense.”
