Senators reject motion to commend Jonathan on polio

Signs of  a frosty  relationship between the Senate and President Goodluck Jonathan heightened on Thursday as senators shouted down a prayer seeking to commend the President for his efforts at eradicating polio in the country. The Senate had on Wednesday given the President a two-day ultimatum to fire the Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, AbdulRasheed Maina, over his role in pension administration and his refusal to honour one of its committees’ invitation.
But 24 hours after the ultimatum, the unfriendly disposition manifested as members of the Upper House considered a motion brought by its Health Committee Chairman, Ifeanyi Okowa, and 12 other senators over the killing of health workers in Kano and Borno states.
Although the motion received good support, one of its prayers, which sought to commend the President for his reslove to eradicate polio in the country, attracted harsh response from the lawmakers.
The immediate response was a resounding ‘‘nay’’ as the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, put the question to voice vote on the floor of the chambers.
Okowa recalled the killing of health officers  in Kano and Borno states, saying it was not a good sign.
He said, “The Senate is concerned that polio, which once paralysed millions of children is now endemic in only three countries –Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative figures released for 2012 listed Nigeria to have 121 new cases of polio, while Pakistan and Afghanistan had 58 and 37 cases respectively.
“The health community and all men of conscience are devastated by the killings and aching with throbbing pains, but yet not defeated or helpless.”
Senator Barnabas Gemade expressed concerns over the laxity on the part the Nigeria Immigration Service in monitoring of the country’s borders.
Deputy Senate Leader, Abdul Ningi, described the killing of the health workers as a crime of “monumental proportion.”
He said, “We must not only condemn it but tell our Muslim community that they must begin to say it loud and clear that these people have no place in our society.”
Ningi added that there was no place in the Koran that Allah (God) urged His adherents to fight or kill people.
Senate Minority Leader, George Akume, expressed support for the immunisation programme, saying, “Some of us were born polio-free by sheer luck”.
He lamented that polio had incapacitated some Nigerians, who would have been very useful to the society.
Vice-Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Senator Adegbenga Kaka, condoled with the two state governments over the incident and urged the Senate to investigate the motive behind the killings.
He said, “We cannot rule out religious connotations.”
The Senate also considered another motion for the urgent funding of activities of the country’s extended continental shelf project, calling on the Federal Government to source funds for the project outside the normal budgetary allocation.
It resolved that the Federal Government in the alternative should establish an independent technical body to handle the extension of the nation’s continental shelf.