The Nigeria House of representatives on Tuesday 22 June got involved in what could best be described as a show of shame and national embarrassment; as the law makers engaged in a fistfight in the full glare of publicity, with some ending up with broken nose, broken arms and torn clothes.

One of the members said that she was surprised that Bankole watched while she was being brutalised by her fellow lawmakers.

“I was treated badly; but the Speaker sat there looking satisfied when I was being dealt with. I am going to sue those who slapped and brutalised me for assault,” she said.

The eleven members who had raised allegations of financial misuse against Speaker Dimeji Bankole and the leadership of the House, were hit with indefinite suspension but was later converted to a suspension that would last till the end of the new session ending June, 2011.

Since then the crisis in the House of Representatives has deepened as the offices of the 11 suspended members suspended have been sealed. The doors to the offices were crossed with two white tapes in the style usually adopted by security agents when sealing off a crime scene. On the two tapes was an inscription boldly written ”Sealed.”
 

This show of shame is coming up at a time when Nigerians have all become weary of corruption; and the government of Goodluck Jonathan is trying to put in place better mechanisms to eradicate corruption in Africa largest country.

Source: All Africa/SERAP/Punch