Crack In House Of Reps Over Twitter Ban

…PDP Members Stage Walk Out

Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the
House of Representatives on Tuesday walked out of the House sitting
when Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila ruled out of order, the leader of
the party in the House on the issue of the ban on twitter by the
Government.

The Speaker had earlier while welcoming members back to plenary
mandated the joint committees on Communication, Information,
Justice and National Security to investigate the legality of the
ban and report back to the House.

However, PDP leader in the House, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers)
said waiting for ten days for the committee to report back to the
House would amount to the ban remaining for another ten days.

He said “Mr. Speaker, I stand on section 39 of the Nigerian
constitution, section 19 of the Universal declaration on Human and
Peoples right and article 9 of the African charter of Human and
Peoples right.

“As a representative of the people, I have a source of
communication with my constituents; I have a source of interaction
with my leaders. But in moving this, I must, with all sense of
responsibility commend the steps you took this morning concerning
this issue of ban of twitter. It was very proactive, very
timely.

“But my concern is that as a Nigerian and several other
Nigerians out there, the implication is that for the ten days you
have given that committee to work, this breach will continue. We
don’t even know for how long our interaction with the Executive arm
will last.

“While I agree with the submission of the leadership of this
House completely, I will only want to add that for the breach of
our fundamental human right, particularly the right to fair
hearing, right to freedom of speech and expression, we should urge
the Executive arm in the interim to reverse the ban pending our
interaction with the Executive.”

But the Speaker ruled him out of order saying since the matter
has been referred to a committee already, it was wrong for the
matter to be revived again.

Speaker said; “Let me quickly refer you to order 9, rule 1 sub
rule 6 of our rules which state that it shall be out of order to
reconsider any specific question upon which the House has come to a
conclusion during the current session except upon a substantive
motion for rescission.

“This matter has already been sent to the committees to look at
the issues you are talking about and will report to us within ten
days. Even if you had brought a motion here, it would have been
referred to a committee. We are not even sure if your motion would
not have been killed. This day, we have saved the day. So you are
ruled out of order.”

At this stage, all efforts by Chinda to be heard proved abortive
with the House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Chief Whip, Mohammed
Tahir Mongunu asking him to be guided.

Chinda and some other members of the caucus however walked out
of the plenary to address the press on their grievances, insisting
that members of the PDP caucus in the House will continue to tweet
in disregard to the ban, while some others kept shouting continue
to tweet, continue to tweet.

…PDP Members Stage Walk Out

Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the
House of Representatives on Tuesday walked out of the House sitting
when Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila ruled out of order, the leader of
the party in the House on the issue of the ban on twitter by the
Government.

The Speaker had earlier while welcoming members back to plenary
mandated the joint committees on Communication, Information,
Justice and National Security to investigate the legality of the
ban and report back to the House.

However, PDP leader in the House, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers)
said waiting for ten days for the committee to report back to the
House would amount to the ban remaining for another ten days.

He said “Mr. Speaker, I stand on section 39 of the Nigerian
constitution, section 19 of the Universal declaration on Human and
Peoples right and article 9 of the African charter of Human and
Peoples right.

“As a representative of the people, I have a source of
communication with my constituents; I have a source of interaction
with my leaders. But in moving this, I must, with all sense of
responsibility commend the steps you took this morning concerning
this issue of ban of twitter. It was very proactive, very
timely.

“But my concern is that as a Nigerian and several other
Nigerians out there, the implication is that for the ten days you
have given that committee to work, this breach will continue. We
don’t even know for how long our interaction with the Executive arm
will last.

“While I agree with the submission of the leadership of this
House completely, I will only want to add that for the breach of
our fundamental human right, particularly the right to fair
hearing, right to freedom of speech and expression, we should urge
the Executive arm in the interim to reverse the ban pending our
interaction with the Executive.”

But the Speaker ruled him out of order saying since the matter
has been referred to a committee already, it was wrong for the
matter to be revived again.

Speaker said; “Let me quickly refer you to order 9, rule 1 sub
rule 6 of our rules which state that it shall be out of order to
reconsider any specific question upon which the House has come to a
conclusion during the current session except upon a substantive
motion for rescission.

“This matter has already been sent to the committees to look at
the issues you are talking about and will report to us within ten
days. Even if you had brought a motion here, it would have been
referred to a committee. We are not even sure if your motion would
not have been killed. This day, we have saved the day. So you are
ruled out of order.”

At this stage, all efforts by Chinda to be heard proved abortive
with the House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Chief Whip, Mohammed
Tahir Mongunu asking him to be guided.

Chinda and some other members of the caucus however walked out
of the plenary to address the press on their grievances, insisting
that members of the PDP caucus in the House will continue to tweet
in disregard to the ban, while some others kept shouting continue
to tweet, continue to tweet.