Senate Ignores Okorocha’s Demand For Apology over alleged identification card policy

The Senate on Tuesday paid deaf ears to Governor Rochas Okorocha’s demand for an apology, following the Red Chambers’ condemnation of the governor’s alleged proposed policy to issue identification cards to northerners resident in Imo State as a way to checkmate the Boko Haram insurgents from infiltrating the state. But an attempt to probe the policy in the House of Representatives on Tuesday was turned down by members on the floor of plenary.

Members of the Senate had unanimously condemned the alleged plan to institute a policy of issuing identification cards to northerners.
But Okorocha demanded an open apology from the Senate over accusation.
He accused the senators of engaging themselves in unwarranted blackmail of the state government.
Okorocha’s reaction was made known through a statement, which was signed by the senior special assistant to Imo State governor on media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo.
“The Imo State government wishes to take exception to what transpired in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, the Senate, on Thursday, July 3, 2014 during which the distinguished senators engaged in wild goose chase by allowing themselves to be deceived into deliberating and having resolutions on a matter that does not exist in Imo State and that is the claimed registration of northerners in Imo State with a view of issuing them identification cards.
“It is curious that this allegation against the Imo State government registering northerners in the state began in Abuja and being discussed in Abuja and appears strange to the Imo State Government and the citizenry in general.
“First, the minority leader in the House of Representatives, Alhaji Suleiman Kawu Sumaila was the first to issue a release in Abuja on the allegation, and the Imo State government reacted immediately. The government’s reaction denying the allegation in its entirety was widely reported in the media, including the Daily Trust, and Daily Sun of Tuesday, July 1, 2014.
“And in spite of the stout denial of the Imo State government that it has not begun to register northerners in the state or people from any other part of the country, the distinguished senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria seen by most people, as the conscience of the nation because of the calibre of Nigerians there, still went ahead to discuss the matter and taking decisions on that, and we consider the action of the senators as most unfortunate. It is irritating, to say the least.