Death struck, on Tuesday, in the Senate wing of the National Assembly with the collapse of two persons during plenary. While a ministerial nominee from Kaduna State, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, came down unexpectedly during his screening but was revived, the Tribune Newspaper correspondent, Tijani Adeyemi, who was covering the proceedings, also went down, but unfortunately couldn’t make it.
Before commencement of the screening of the three ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate for consideration by President Bola Tinubu, Adeyemi suffered a cardiac arrest in one of the National Assembly’s shuttle buses but died before he could get to the SGF clinic where he was immediately rushed to. He was confirmed dead at the SGF office before his body was moved to the National Assembly’s clinic.
While Adeyemi’s body was still kept at the National Assembly’s clinic awaiting evacuation for burial according to Muslim rites, one of the Ministerial nominees, Balarabe Lawal collapsed after making his presentation and while waiting to field questions from Senators. The nominee slumped around 1:50p.m. after he introduced himself and highlighted his achievements so far in the private and public sectors.
After he slumped, senators rushed to the podium to save his life. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, screamed and asked for water, sugar and Coke to save the nominee’s life. He was quickly put back on his feet by the Sergeants at Arm and a few senators like Opeyemi Bamidele and Elisha Abbo. Akpabio then directed that the Senate go into a closed-door session immediately.
In a swift response, the doctors at the National Assembly clinic, who were still documenting vital information on Adeyemi given by some of his colleagues, rushed to the Senate Chamber to revive Lawal, with some equipment carried for them by one of the journalists.
There was confusion in the chamber when the doctors rushed in with their first aid equipment to revive the ministerial nominee, who was already made to sit.
The Senate resumed sitting at 2:55p.m. after the ministerial nominee from Kaduna was whisked away from the podium of the chamber.Upon resumption of the sitting, the ministerial nominee from Ondo State, Ayodele Olawande, was invited to the Senate chamber for screening. Lawal was placed at a corner of the chamber where a medical team of the National Assembly administered treatment on him.
The Chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said Lawal slumped during the screening as a result of fatigue.
“The three nominees that came today have been confirmed. Two of them stood throughout but unfortunately one of them when he started before the screening, he did well, he submitted his resume and he is the current Secretary to Kaduna State Government. He has a very rich resume.
“Unfortunately, due to exhaustion and fatigue, he had a little health hiccup and we had to drop him, we had to bring him down, let him just get himself together, then he was put together.” Adaramodu said when the ministerial nominee was resuscitated, he wanted to continue with the screening but the Senate leadership prevented him.
“He even wanted to continue but the Senate said look, because of the exhaustion, just go and seek further medical attention and then rest.”
Meanwhile, the body of Adeyemi was laid to rest at the Gudu Cemetery in line with Islamic rites.
President of the ninth Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, in a condolence message to the family and the Senate Press Corps, mourned his sudden death. He said: “As a reporter, he was known for his remarkable talent and dedication. He had an unwavering passion for journalism, and his commitment to delivering accurate and compelling narratives deeply resonated with those who had the pleasure of reading his work.
“Beyond his professional achievements, Adeyemi was a genuine and compassionate individual. To the best of my knowledge, he approached his work with empathy, seeking to understand the unique perspectives of the National Assembly, which he covered for many years.
“To the family he left behind, the Editorial Board of Tribune Newspaper, and the Senate Press Corps, please, accept my deepest condolences and know that my thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult period. May the memories of Adeyemi provide comfort and strength during this time of grief.”
Also, Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, expressed shock over the death of Adeyemi. In a statement by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele condoled Adeyemi’s family members, management and staff of Nigerian Tribune, Senate Press Corps and Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) over his sudden death
Bamidele further prayed that God comfort all family members that the departed soul left behind. “Late Adeyemi was a committed, consummate and dedicated journalist, who stood for a saner Nigeria until his death. He passed away when we needed him most and when least expected.
“He was a thoroughbred professional, who devoted his life, energy and time to objective reportage of legislative plenaries, activities of standing communities and oversight functions of the Senate.”
IN another development, the Senate has initiated a fresh move to investigate the alleged unlawful killings and imprisonment of over 250 Nigerians in Ethiopia.
This followed a motion, titled: ‘Urgent need to investigate the unlawful killings and incarceration of over 250 Nigerians in Ethiopia’, sponsored by the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Simon Mwadkwon, (PDP, Plateau North), and Senator Victor Umeh (YPP, Anambra Central).
Presenting the motion, Mwadkwon urged the Senate to direct the committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to work with the Federal Government to immediately constitute a committee to visit the Republic of Ethiopia with a view to investigating what is happening to Nigerians in the country.
He also called on the Federal Government to immediately direct the Ethiopian Embassy to collaborate with the delegation of the Senate committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to find a lasting solution to problems being faced and or encountered by Nigerians who are held in Ethiopia.
According to him, “the video clip being circulated in the social media indicates that Nigerians are held captives in the maximum prison of Ethiopia and are in serious peril which calls for urgent intervention and thorough probe into the heinous activities.” He lamented that this was happening despite the clarion call for unity among nations of the world.
“There is a widespread information currently being circulated by Dr. Paul Ezike calling on the Nigerian government to intervene in the inhumanity and torture that Nigerians are receiving in Ethiopia without evidence of commission of any crime.”
He added that “based on the widespread information being circulated, over 250 Nigerians who have continued to face these maltreatment and inhumanity have not committed any crime known to any law and there is no evidence of any court proceedings stating the categories of crimes they have committed or any court conviction in that regard.”
He further noted that “at the moment based on the sovereignty of this country and the sanctity of the lives and properties of all Nigerians all over the world as captured in the Nigerian Constitution especially sections 33, 34 & 35 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which has similar provisions in other international codes, instruments and conventions which Nigeria and Ethiopia are signatories to, there is no justification whatsoever for taking away the dignity of any person, let alone taking away the life of a citizen.”
“In the midst of the economic and social hardships being experienced by our citizens, yet some over 250 people who belong to this nation are currently being subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment which calls for urgent intervention of these hallowed chambers as the lives of those 250 people matter most to us.
“It is pathetic that a nation as populous as Nigeria, the giant of Africa, our citizens are being held in captivity in the 21st century where the call is for unity among nation states but quite lugubriously that Ethiopia has chosen shallow path to maltreat and mistreat the citizens of Nigeria without any justification as shown in a video by Dr. Paul Ezike,” the lawmaker stressed.
