Police Quiz Ekweremadu, National Assembly Clerk For Alleged Forgery

                A TEAM of policemen yesterday interrogated Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa,  for an alleged unwholesome alteration of the Senate Standing Rule.
It was learnt the police operatives arrived at the National Assembly complex around 2p.m. and departed after over two hours.

The officers, who were led by a Commissioner of Police, went to the office of Ekweremadu after which they also went to the office of the clerk.
Others who were also invited by the police, it was gathered, include former Senate President David Mark, former Senate Leader in the Seventh Senate Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Clerk of the Senate Mr. Benedict Efeturi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Business and Rules in the Seventh Senate Senator Ita Enang and secretary of the committee.
This was contained in a letter addressed to Maikasuwa, entitled: “Letter of Invitation: Re: Forgeries/Fraudulent use of Senate Standing Order/Rules 2015 (as amended) by the 8th Senate.”
The letter was dated July 1and signed by Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Abuja, DIG Dan’ Azumi J. Doma.
The three paragraph letter reads in part: “This office is looking into the complaint of the above subject matter, brought before the Inspector-General of Police by the Senate Unity Forum.
“You are kindly requested to ask the under mentioned key officials of the Seventh Senate to have an audience with the undersigned on or before July 6, 2015.
“While anticipating that you will give the request the urgent attention it requires, please accept the warm and high regards of the Inspector-General of Police.”
Also the petition of the Senate Unity Forum, endorsed by its secretary, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North), to the police over the alleged forgery reads in part:
“We write to bring to your attention, the existence of the fraudulent introduction of a 2015 Senate Standing Rules, as amended.
“We wish to attach the original and authentic Standing Order for 2011 that was used by the Seventh Senate, (Annexure A)
“We again annex hereto a purported amended Standing Orders 2015, which was used by the Clerk to the National Assembly (along with the Clerk of the Senate) in inaugurating the 8th Senate on June 9, 2015, Annexure B.
“The so-called new Standing Orders purports to allow for secret instead of the open ballot system that has been prevalent in all Senate elections as permitted by the extant rules.
“These infractions, among others, arise from the fraudulent production of the Rules without an approved consideration by the Seventh Senate.
“At no time was the Standing Orders of the Senate amended during the entire life of the Seventh Senate neither has the Eighth Senate sat for long enough to produce the rules now being circulated and in use.
“We, therefore, appeal that you use your good offices to investigate and bring to justice all persons who may have been responsible for this fraud, which has led to the undue political crises and abnormalities in the politics.
“While you carry out your job in sanitising the system, please, be assured of our esteemed regards.”