Unarmed robbers comment: Reps reply Obasanjo

The House of Representatives does not intend to issue a formal response to the fresh label of ‘unarmed robbers’ pinned on federal legislators on Thursday by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, it was learnt yesterday.

Obasanjo,speaking at a book presentation in Ibadan on Thursday, had described the legislators as a bunch of unarmed robbers because,as he said, “they are one of the highest paid in the world where we have 70 per cent of our people living in abject poverty.”

The House said yesterday that its response to an earlier accusation in the heat of the budget padding controversy in 2016 is sufficient for the latest accusation by the former President. House spokesman Abdulrazaq Namdas, contacted by The Nation said: “There is nothing to say because the House has responded to the former President previously.

“The accusation this time is the same as before, so there is nothing to add. Our position has not changed from what we said in 2016.”

Besides, Namdas said that on a personal basis, he was not prepared to cross fire with Obasanjo in view of his age and position as a former President.

His words: “He is an elder and in my culture, you don’t respond to elders every time.

“You don’t banter words with your elders.Having responded once and he accuses you again and again, what you do is you keep quiet.

“Remember he is a former President and an elder statesman. I will not say more than that.”

Nation, August 19, 2017

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