Withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security details rascally, says Kwara Speaker 

The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Razak Atunwa, has described the withdrawal of the security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) as an act of gross rascality. Hon. Atunwa told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital yesterday that the IGP’s action was “improper, unfortunate and unconstitutional.” Atunwa, a lawyer, said: “The issue whether or not he is entitled to defect to another party with or without consequence is a matter to be interpreted solely by the court. The rules are clear, and that is once he is a speaker, he should remain the speaker and should have all the necessary security details. “He has not been impeached. He has not been removed. No court has declared his seat vacant. Nothing of that nature has occurred. For me, it is an act of gross rascality by the federal government and particularly the Inspector General of Police. “The reaction we learnt was that as of yesterday his security has been withdrawal from him. For me, it is most unfortunate. It is improper and unconstitutional. He, as we speak now, remains the Speaker of the House of Representatives and therefore, he is entitled to all the appurtenances of that office, regardless of party affiliation.” He congratulated Tambuwal over his decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC). “I think, he is the man who put his money where his mouth is. He is a man who stands for righteousness and what is right. He believes in it and he has taken the necessary and right action,” he said. On the criticisms launched against the state government by the Minister of National Planning, Dr Abubakar Suleiman, Atunwa said: “The Minister for National Planning has an obsession for attacking Senator Bukola Saraki. I read in a lengthy interview in one of the dailies recently what he had to say. He is a minister for the entire nation. I do not think it is proper. It is rather not decorous for him to be attacking personalities. “I cannot fathom a developed system in a developed world where a national minister will be discussing and attacking personalities. I do not think that the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the United Kingdom (UK) or Secretary of State in United States discusses personalities whatever party affiliations they may have. “I ask myself the question: doesn’t this minister have any work to do? He does not have files on his table to treat? Doesn’t he have the ministry to run? “This country has issues too deal with. We are sixth in the world in terms of oil export. We are 10th in terms of export of natural gas, yet this country is economically regressed. “Eighty per cent of government revenue comes from oil and gas. “Yet we have neither adequate infrastructure nor progress to boast of. Our economic growth is stunted and this is largely due to corruption lack of corruption and lack of transparency. “The Transparency International Corruption perception Index of 2013/14 rated Nigeria as top 25 in the world most corrupt countries. It says that the country’s budgetary provisions and processes are zero in terms of openness and transparency.”