By Marian Okpe- Abuja.
Following the hullabaloo that let to the suspension of senator Natasha Akpoti Oduagha’s suspension on Thursday, the Chairman Senate Committee on Ethics, privileges and public petition, Senator Neda B. Imasuen, representing Edo South Senatorial District, has advised senators to adhere to the law and order of the Senate in order to avoid chaos in the system.
The senator disclosed this while speaking to a team of journalist in his Office on Thursday after the suspension of senator Oduagha at the plenary.
He said that Senator Natasha was suspended after listening to the reports of the committee on Ethics which also recommended that she should be suspended for six months with effect from 6’th Match 2025.
But, for the insinuations that the senate president promised the women that there will be a room for reconsiderations, ‘’ I am not aware of that, he is the president of the senate, he has the prerogative to do so if he wants, but he still have to bring it to the floor of of the Senate.”
Sen. Imasuen while giving insight on why senator Oduagha,’s aids and securities was withdrawn from her, said, senators enjoyed certain benefit and privileges while serving, but the moment a senator seizes to exist as a senator either by suspension, expelling or resignation, he or she automatically seizes to enjoy all of that.
“She is not suppose to parade herself as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria till after the expiration of her suspension.
Senator Imasuen while giving insights to the sitting arrangements in the upper chamber, explained that, it is the Senate President that allocates sits and offices to the senators, adding that, a senator has no right to reject a sit or an office assigned to him or her.
He stressed that a senator cannot say He or She ought to be at the fourth , middle or ground Floor”‘ same thing applicable to sitting arrangement in the Chambers,”
“It has to do with ranking, the principal officers, majority and the minority leaders, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whips, has theirs seats at the front rolls, while the first timers, seats at the back respectively” if anyone chooses to do whatever he or want to do in their way, they will be chaos in the House.
“There is a lay down procedures in the way we speak at the Chamber, a senator cannot go to another senator’s seat and speak from there, the speech will be recorded in the name of the original owner of the seat.
There is a monitor in front of the Senate President that records all the proceedings of the day. ” We are called Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as such, we should conduct ourselves and behave in way and manner that is acceptable, obey the laws and orders of the senate. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)