NIGERIA: ETTEH SHOULD GO.

The sessions in the Nigerian House of Representatives, this week had been very rowdy. This is because of the disagreement between members, on whether the speaker of the House of Representatives Mrs. Patricia Etteh should preside over deliberation on the panel report on the N628 million contract scam.

The report had stated that due process was not followed by Mrs. Etteh in the award of the contract for the renovation of her official residence and that of other principal members of the House of Representatives. The contract was also found to have been inflated.







Since this scandal became public knowledge their have been calls for Mrs. Etteh to step aside by some members of the House of Representatives. However, Mrs. Etteh seems to prefer to cling on to power despite the fact that her effectiveness if she continues to stay on as speaker of the House of Representatives is in doubt.

Mrs. Etteh is an average Nigerian politician, never knowing when to bow out. An average Nigerian politician wants to hold on to power at all cost ability to govern is not an important consideration. They just want to be there. One question I have for Mrs. Etteh is how does she think that she can still lead the Nigerian House of Representatives after all that has happened?

Leadership is about being able to inspire people. Mrs. Etteh have disappointed many people most especially those that supported her nomination as the speaker of the House of Representatives. In fact, some of Mrs. Etteh’s supporters are now vigorously opposed to her remaining speaker of the House of Representatives. Therefore, her ability to command the respect of other members of the House of Representatives has been highly compromised.

Mrs. Etteh should resign and further investigations should be conducted on the scam. For example, one of the reasons given by her supporters on why she should stay on, as the speaker of the House of Representatives is that they claim Mrs. Etteh did not benefit financially or in any other way in the contract scam. I am yet to be convinced. If the contract was inflated then who collected the surplus?

I will like to know for example who were the shareholders of the companies that handled the contract as at the time of the contract award and their relationship to Mrs. Etteh. If Mrs. Etteh did not benefit who did?

What Mrs. Etteh must understand is that resigning, as the speaker of the House of Representatives does not mean she has agreed that she benefited in the scam. It will only reduce the tension in the House of Representatives. It is a necessary sacrifice that Mrs. Etteh must make for peace to rain in the House of Representatives.

However, the rowdy sessions in the House of Representatives this week did not end without a major incident. A member of the House of Representatives Dr. Aminu Safana slumped and died during a rowdy session on Wednesday. Before his death, Dr. Aminu Safana was the chairman of the House on Health.

Perhaps if Mrs. Etteh had stepped down earlier we would have been saved this incident. However, all these are open to speculation now. May his soul rest in peace. I hope Mrs. Etteh and her colleagues have learnt their lessons.

The members of the House of Representatives should do the right thing when they reconvene next week. They must realize that their credibility is at stake. They need a new leadership. They need a fresh start. If Mrs. Etteh refuses to go, then she should be forced out.