Grapevine

National honours spark House, Senate power tussle debate

Political pundits stated that the concern of members of the House, also known as the Green Chambers, concerning the ‘demeaning’ honours meted on their principals reflected a subtle dissatisfaction between members of both the House and the Senate. They stressed that the imbroglio highlighted a troubled and wobbling federal structure that needs urgent constitutional and administrative clarity.

According to reports, Tinubu announced the conferment of honours during his independence speech. He bestowed on Abass, the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, CFR, and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, the Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON. Meanwhile, Akpabio received the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, while his deputy, Barau Jibrin, received the CFR. For the judiciary, the recently appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, was bestowed with the GCON.

Restive Reps

Miffed by the lower honours bestowed by their principal officers, members of the House of Representatives, in its recent plenary session, stressed that the announcement of the President denigrates the office of the speaker and foregrounds agelong misrepresentation and discrimination against the green chamber. The deputy spokesperson for the House, Philip Agbese, moved a motion on the floor of the chambers titled ‘Multi-Partisan motion on the inappropriate discrimination against the House of Representatives and the presentation of the chamber as inferior to the Senate.’

Agbese, who represents Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency in Benue State, said, “There is an ongoing and inappropriate culture of discrimination against the House of Representatives, often portrayed as inferior to the Senate, through language that consistently refers to the Senate as the upper chamber and the House of Representatives as a lower chamber.