- Alarms illegitimate and parallel NASSLAF govt
- Says, “its constitution does not provide for suspension of an officer”
Jonas Ezieke, Abuja
Chairman of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum NASSLAF Barr Emeka Nwala has dismissed the reports of his suspension from office by some members of the Executive Committee and the Central Working Committee of the group describing it as an illegality.
This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen by the Chairman of NASSLAF National Assembly chapter Barr Emeka Nwala in Abuja
It reads: “I write to notify you of the attempt by some members of NASSLAF Exco and CWC to form an illegal and illegitimate parallel NASSLAF government in the National Assembly.
“This ugly and unwarranted development is in clear violation of the principles and provisions of the NASSLAF constitution.
“The development is capable of causing a breach of the peace being enjoyed by legislative aides and the National Assembly as a whole.
“Accordingly, the gentlemen of the press are respectfully requested to disregard all misleading details the group has been circulating to justify their dastardly act designed to derail the system and cause unnecessary dis-affection amongst legislative aides in the National Assembly”.
Giving further explanation on the issue he said however, that with reference to their purported CWC meeting held to allegedly suspend him, it remains an exercise without foundation because it was not validly activated.
He said that the requirement of one-quarter of the members of the Executive Committee to convene a meeting where he supposedly failed to do so did not represent the six geopolitical zones as demanded by the Constitution. (See Article 11 paragraph (ii of our Constitution as attached).
Moreover, the call for a meeting pursuant to Article 11 paragraph (ii) did not empower the “Committee” to take any decisions whatsoever without his knowledge, let alone such patently illegal decision as the suspension of an officer.
He said that it is trite to note that the NASSLAF Constitution does not have a provision for the “suspension of an officer.” What the Constitution copiously provided for is ‘Removal from office” and “Procedure for Removal’ see Article 21 and 22 of Nasslaf Constitution.
The senior legislative aide said that these constitutional provisions are not met, it is incongruous for any right-thinking person to assume that I, Barr. Emeka Nwala, the only validly elected Chairman, the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, NASSLAF, has either been suspended or removed from office.
He insisted that he has laboured to offer purposeful leadership being acclaimed by the majority of legislative aides, staff and legislators, and perceived this clandestine move as calculated to distract the administration on very ridiculous and ludicrous reasons.
The leader of parliamentary secretaries and aides noted that as expected of a leader, I have opened up forum to let trite discussions hold to resolve any concerns from any quarters so as to sustain the peaceful environment being enjoyed by the legislative aides and others in National Assembly.
NASSLAF he said remains one body under his chairmanship.
When contacted, some members of NASSLAF in both the Senate and House of Representatives said that they don’t believe in any purported suspension or impeachment of their leader by any person or group of persons.
They told our reporter that there is no recognized chairman other than the elected and duly inaugurated chairman Barr Emeka Nwala and insisted that there is no leadership crisis
These senior legislative aides also said that those behind the purported suspension of the chairman are a few who constituted themselves as opposition and a few Central Working Committee members who want to cause trouble.
They directed our reporter to read the relevant section of the body’s constitutional requirements for the removal of an elected officeholder from office.
