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The Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, yesterday apologised to
students of City Royal School, Nyanya, who witnessed clashes at the
chamber a fortnight ago.

Mr. Bankole, who
visited the school at the outskirts of Abuja, told hundreds of students
and staff of the institution who gathered at the school’s auditorium on
Monday morning that, “I want to use this time to apologise to you over
what happened. It should not have happened,” he said.

Witnesses to a sordid drama

Seventy of the
students witnessed the lawmakers’ scuffle on June 22, after arriving
for the routine student visits to the National Assembly.

They watched from
the over-arching gallery as the Speaker’s order for the suspension of
11 members who accused him of corruption, which rapidly leapt the
session into chaos, during which members fought openly and were
stripped and ejected.

The suspended
lawmakers said Mr. Bankole and his officials have misappropriated N9
billion of the House’s 2009 capital budget, and asked for his removal.

Back in their
school that Tuesday morning, the students were told such violent
disputes occur elsewhere, the Girls Prefect, Roseline Odoh, recalled.
They were, however, tutored that the key lays with the reason for the
rift, and not the rift itself.

“It was very
painful to us,” said Ms. Odoh. “We later got to know that it happens in
other parliaments, but that it depends on why they fight.”

Mr. Bankole said the crisis was caused by a breach of legislative process.

“Let me explain to
you why it happened”, he began. “It happened because some of us decided
not to obey our set down rules. In every society, and in every
organisation, there are rules that guide people, just as there are
rules in this school. On this particular day, I believe a few of our
colleagues flouted the rules of the House.

Why law and order broke down

“If you take the law into your hands, then you face the consequences,” Mr. Bankole stressed.

“And this is the
best time to start learning to respect rules, before going out to join
the larger society; otherwise, you may end up just like you saw that
day.”

The students urged
the Speaker to lead the return of peace to the deeply troubled chamber,
and called for the reinstatement of the 11 affected members.

“We want to ask
from you that this great mind in you, let it be in all the members of
the House. We pray that peace will dwell in the House and most
importantly, all those who have erred will equally be forgiven,” the
school’s Moral Prefect, David Sunday, requested.

Mr. Bankole said the idea was “wonderful” and will be considered.

“It is the request,
a wonderful idea, and we would consider it. We are adults and we have
responsibilities of managing ourselves as leaders, and I can assure you
that we would come to amicable resolution,” he promised.