The deputy speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has come under heavy attack for questioning the eligibility of Nigerians living abroad to submit petitions to the National Assembly.
Wase, who presided over house plenary session on Thursday, rejected a petition from “Mutual Union of the Tiv in America (MUTA),” saying Nigerians in the diaspora do not really know the situation in Nigeria and thus are not eligible to file petitions.
The petition, presented by Mark Terseer Gbillah, lawmaker representing Benue Gwer East/Gwer West federal constituency, accused the federal government of not resettling the Tiv people displaced from their ancestral land through various attacks.
Mark Gbillah
Gbillah said: “I have a petition from the mutual union of the Tiv in America against the federal government of Nigeria and the issue has to do with the ancestral land of the TIV people that seems to have been possessed in recent times through various attacks and the fact that they are languishing in IDP camps till date without any intervention.”
Responding the deputy Speaker declared: “I am not convinced that somebody from America can come here and then delaying issues in Nigeria. I am not convinced that we need to take that petition.”
Frantic efforts by the Benue Lawmaker to tell the deputy speaker to allow the petition to go to the house committee on diaspora for further action fell on Mr Wase’s deaf ears.
However, Nigerians on Social media have roasted the deputy speaker for ‘killing’ the petition.
Below are some of their reactions:
@Ignatius Onwughalu writes: “Idris Wase has just displayed a complete nuisance and lack in the understanding of laws of Nigeria where a deputy speaker of senate. How can he be so myopic and reckless with views. Those petitioners, are they not Nigerians? Even if they’re dual citizens, at least one of their status says they are Nigerians. When will Nigeria come of this situation of the blind and stack ginormous individuals leading her?”
@Omino Kenny writes: “Low IQ of Nigeria Politicians. Remittance flows to Nigeria accounts for about 3rd % of the regional inflows. Despite representing a small percentage of global flows, official remittances to Sub Saharan Africa grew by 10% to $46 billion in 2018. The World Bank also projected remittances to the region will grow by 4.2% in 2019, due to a moderation in global growth. In 2018, remittance received in Nigeria was 25,081 million dollars . They don’t care!”
@Princess Mary Omoh Agunu writes: “The youths will soon come and drive you guys away and occupy that house. Just wait. The time is coming.”
@Michael Sunday Adigun writes: “When you listen to people like Idris Wase, then you start asking yourself how people with such very low IQ get to d position of authority in Nigeria.”
@Talolo Efe writes: “The problem is this, mr tersser is more enlighten, educated, exposed than the so called deputy speaker. Why Nigerians has a diaspora abroad, why Nigerians has a ambassadors in foreign land, it is because of issues like this. The real people who are suppose to be leaders in Nigeria are just waisting.”
@Sanusi Adebayo writes: “Nigerians never knew what “one chance” really meant until APC came upon board.”
@Attahiru Seun writes: “So because I no live for 9ja I no be citizen of Nigeria which kind mumu people dey power like this hmmmmmmmm can’t dey see things american rescue 1 of it citizen not a president or Senate son but a farmer the amount of army that took part in that operation is out of this world but what did we get from one of our leader nothing.”
@Nlewem Daniel Uzoma Goodluck writes: This is total madness. What did this educated illiterate mean? These people are the ones sponsoring terrorism, and they are doing it deliberately. #EndNigeriaNow and save lives and the future generations.”
@Pius Ifeanyi Oyi writes: “Total money sent to Nigeria by Nigerians working abroad should be more than 60b dollars or more. i mean official and non-official
@Raheem Adebayo Onikoko writes: “ABOKI WITH COW BRAIN, SO NIGERIAN IN DIASPORA DOES NOT HAVE ANY RIGHTS IN NIGERIA….” (AFRICAN EXAMINER)
