Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Madam Speaker, Are You on the Peel?

Hahaha! I can sense arms and daggers up in my humble direction!! Okay, stupid, I said "peel" NOT "pill"!!! The proverbial "Banana Peel" of the National Assembly. Settled? Hahaha!!!!

But this be no laughing matter, at all. For non-speakers of our unique parliament-speak, this is the metaphorical stepping on the slippery slopes in the leadership musical chairs in the Nigerian Legislature. A few senate presidents and a former house speaker have fallen off their exalted seats in controversial and scandal-fuelled circumstances. The term was actually coined by one of them!

The tortuous and torturing terrain of Nigerian politics should temper anyone in exalted position. In this business, it is intrigues and treachery all the way! Caution and cleanness be da armour of the wise...

Now, it seems our first-ever woman speaker of the federal house of representatives is in more trouble than meets the eye. The now-legendary bug and proverbial "contractgate" seems to have bitten her leadership. Sad part is, there is confusion and commotion everywhere. Facts and figures are being bundled, bandied, unbundled, re-bandied in dizzying bits and pieces! Amazing! There is a remarkable degree of sloppiness, dodginess and incompetence in the whole saga. We are at once amused and bemused. I am mightily mystified!

If this were a campaign season, the case be made. Fully. Now it is a new campaign, a different campaign. And the stakes are at once high, and.... NOT settled! Indeed, things are very very unsettled in the House.

Is Madam Speaker on da Banana Peel, or....

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