BY ABDULLAHI ISAH, MAIDUGURI
Residents of Maiduguri and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) taking refuge in Maiduguri metropolis camps, on Thursday faulted the suspension of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume by the Red Chamber for telling what they consider as the truth on the floor of the Senate.
The residents, drawn from markets, motor parks and IDPs camps across the metropolis said that their representative from Southern Borno Senatorial District, was suspended for stating the truth about the allegations against the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye.
One of the respondents said “the suspension of our Senator, Senator Ali Ndume for six months by the leadership of the Senate was not only faulty but undemocratic.”
Another respondent, an IDP, Hamza Isa told newsmen that the suspension was undemocratic and poses dangers to the democratic processes of meeting the “yearnings and aspirations” of people of the Southern Borno Senatorial
District.
“I was saddened by this news of Ndume’s suspension from the Senate; I kept on thinking about the issue throughout yesterday (Wednesday). It is a sad political development that the Senate decided to suspend him for standing by the truth and nothing but the truth on allegations against Senators Saraki and Melaye,” he added.
A resident of Maiduguri, Yakubu Umaru queried the action of the leadership of the Senate by stating: “What kind of message are the senators trying to pass to the world? Are they saying that anybody standing by the truth will not survive?” He insisted that “Ndume was punished because of his ‘integrity and openness’ on national issues .
“They said that he was suspended for telling lies against the Senate President and Senator Dino Melaye but the truth is that the senators are not comfortable with his open fight against corruption and corrupt
practices in some quarters in the country,” Umaru further fumed.
It could be recalled that Senator Ndume, representing Borno South District, was suspended for allegedly raising false alarm based on a report carried by the media on Sen. Dino Melaye and Senate President Bukola Saraki.
The Senate on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 suspended the former majority leader for six months for bringing before it unproven allegations against his colleagues, Sen. Dino Melaye and Senate President Saraki..
