National Assembly blockade: Ohanaeze calls for thorough investigation

The umbrella body of Ndigbo, Ohanaeze, has described Tuesday’s siege at the National Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services as equivalent of a coup, with the body urging the government to treat it as such.
The President General of the Ohanaeze, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, said the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, was right in describing the act as a breach of national security, but said all the characters who participated in the act either directly or indirectly should face the law to act as a deterrent to overzealous security operatives.
Nwodo charged Osinbajo to go beyond the sacking of the Director General of the DSS, Lawal Daura, and institute a high powered investigation to fish out all the culprits.
The president General said in a statement he signed and released on Wednesday that it was not possible for the DSS alone to carry out the siege without the involvement of the Police.
He doubted the denial of the Police in the matter as he urged the Acting President to critically examine the role of the police and the claim that it did not participate a possible after thought only after the “coup” failed.
The Ohanaeze leader said the embarrassment the act brought to the nation is enormous and should not be treated with levity.
He said: “If the state security can just wake up and seal up the National Assembly housing the country’s parliament they could go further one day to overthrow government after discussing with some interest groups.”
Chief Nwodo said Ohanaeze has carefully followed the developments in the National Assembly and feels that the executive is overbearing.
He said: “As a constitutionally recognized arm of Government with its own statutory responsibilities, if there is a disagreement within them, they should be allowed to resolve it themselves unless there is violence before the security can be involved.”
The Ohanaeze leader went further to say that the executive must allow the legislature to handle their affairs themselves in the most congenial atmosphere.
He noted that democracy would be better served if all arms of government are allowed to operate without undue interference from each other.