Suspension: Why I won’t apologise- Ndume

He was handed six months suspension on March 29, 2017 over allegation that he breached Senate rules by drawing attention of the upper chamber to allegation of purchase of exotic car for the Senate President with forged customs papers and the certificate scandal against Senator Dino Melaye. The Senate specifically blamed him for not “conducting due diligence” before bringing the matter to the floor. The Borno South senator however said that though he is not averse to tendering apology where there is need to do so, there was nothing for him to apologise for. He insisted that he did not offend the standing rules of the Senate. The leadership of the upper chamber was reported last week to have asked Ndume to apologise to pave the way for his recall. Ndume said, “The move for apology was made but I did not do any thing to warrant an apology. I have no problem with apology but you have to apologise for something you did. “The issues I raised were put to rest after I raised them. The issue of importation of car was put to rest. The certificate issue was also put to rest. It was because I raised the issues. Perhaps if I did not raise them, the issues may have lingered. “I did not do any thing so there is no basis for me to tender any apology.” Ndume also said that the resolution to investigate the issues was not his but a Senate resolution. He added, “The whole thing will come and go. It will pass away. It is part of the challenge a politician go through. My challenge in the Senate now is temporary. It should not stop me from do what have been doing for my constituents. It is very temporary. “I take my suspension in good faith. It will pass away. I am lucky to be in the Senate. Right now I am going through industrial attachment because one day I will leave the Senate. I don’t expect to die in the Senate.” Ndume also appealed to the Federal Government not to yield to the pressure to evict Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from their Area One Camp in Abuja. He said that he would take up the planned eviction of IDPs from their Area One Camp with the Minister of Internal Affairs to stop the plan. He said that IDPs are not sent packing without providing them a place of abode. Ndume who said that they have 12 IDP camps scattered in Abuja, asked the government to take up the issue of security at the camps especially at the Area One Camp.]]>