Members
of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly on Sunday called on President
Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to investigate
Thursday’s raid of the state’s Government House by operatives of the State
Security Services.
In a statement made available to
journalists in Abuja and signed by all members of the Assembly, the lawmakers
said the raid on the governor’s official residence was a direct attack on the
entire people of Akwa Ibom state.
There were unconfirmed reports
that piles of dollars were found locked up in a room at the presidential wing
of the Government House but the operatives left the cash intact following
orders from their superiors not to evacuate it from the complex.
The lawmakers, however, accused
the SSS operatives of having “damaged valuables belonging to the Government and
people of Akwa Ibom State”.
They said their call for
investigation is based on the constitutional provision that guarantees immunity
from prosecution for a sitting governor.
They also accused the security
agency of keeping Governor Udom Emmanuel in the dark of their mission to the
Government House, arguing that the raid violated Section 308 of Nigeria’s constitution.
“Since the Constitution has
clearly freed the Governor from being brought under court warrant in the
discharge of his legitimate duties, it is on record that before embarking on
that ill-advised operation, the SSS never communicated with the Governor of
Akwa Ibom State, who is also the chief security officer of the state, on why it
was necessary to search his official residence in Uyo”, the lawmakers said.
The assembly also alleged that
Governor Emmanuel was being singled out for persecution by the leadership of
the SSS.
“While the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Vice President as well as the Governors and
Deputy Governors across the country are protected under constitutional
immunity, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State has been singled out and stri*ped of
this right which was provided for him under the law.
“We are firm in the belief that
if the raid on the Hilltop Mansion was not an act of felony, persecution and
political vendetta, the DSS would have declared their mission before unleashing
terror on innocent workers of Akwa Ibom State Government and or openly declare
to the authorities in the state what they found and what they took away from
our Government House”, they said.
The lawmakers also said contrary
to information released by an official of the SSS to the media, “no arms or
stacks of money were found in Akwa Ibom State Government House”.
They added, “We also condemn in
the strongest terms the illegal assault on the symbol of our pride and the
embodiment of the confederacy of Akwa Ibom State in the Nigerian Federation by
the Daura-led State Security Service.
“We, hereby challenge the
Director General of the SSS, Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura, to tell the people of
Akwa Ibom State, Nigerians and indeed lovers of democracy all over the world,
why he ordered the ill-fated operation on the Akwa Ibom State Government House.
“The people of Akwa Ibom State
will hold Mr. Daura and the SSS responsible if any unforeseen incident befall the
Governor, his Deputy or key officials of Akwa Ibom State Government.
“We, therefore, invite Nigerians
from all walks of life to rise up and overwhelmingly challenge acts of impunity
by the political class and security operatives in the country, including the
State Security Service.
“We also invite President
Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to launch proper
investigation into the ridiculous action of the SSS.
“We are shocked that the SSS
which is currently purging officers it claimed to have shown unconcealed
partisanship should descend so low to the extent of staging a coup d’état on
our governor, simply because he belongs to an opposition party
“It is, therefore, on this note
that we pledge that the House of Assembly and indeed the people of Akwa Ibom
State will take every necessary action within the law, to protect and preserve
our federacy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
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