22 Years On, Sacked Lawmakers Seek Redress from Buhari

The Association of Third Republic House of Representatives Members Forum has sent a save our soul message to President Muhammadu Buhari to come to their aid and order immediate payment of their severance package which has lingered since they were sacked from office by the military junta in 1992.

The aggrieved former lawmakers numbering over 500 said they want to be compensated for the unspent period of three years of their office tenure.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja at the weekend, the national chairman of the forum, Chief Obi Anoliefo said they are confident that Buhari, being a man who fights against injustice, would see to it that the demands of the ex-lawmakers are met.

"We are saying that we want to be compensated for the unspent period of three years of our office tenure. The country's political and economic history is replete with people like us who sThe aggrieved former lawmakers numbering over 500 said they want to be compensated for the unspent period of three years of their office tenure.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja at the weekend, the national chairman of the forum, Chief Obi Anoliefo said they are confident that Buhari, being a man who fights against injustice, would see to it that the demands of the ex-lawmakers are met.

"We are saying that we want to be compensated for the unspent period of three years of our office tenure. The country's political and economic history is replete with people like us who suffered similar fate that were duly compensated," he said suffered similar fate that were duly compensated," he said.

Anoliefo said that the group has  sent a letter and made  a representation to both leaderships of the present House of Representatives and the Senate, seeking for an opportunity to discuss the matter.

"We were constitutionally elected, legitimately and legally elected and constitutionally sworn-in as legislators of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1992 and we started work but for whatever reason the then military president, General  Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida decided to step aside and leave his colleague, General Ibrahim Abacha who was then the Secretary of Defence in office who eventually use the muscle of the gun to chase us out of office.

"It is only the legislature that has been left in the lurch. For example, the Chairman of the Interim National Government who was appointed as a Head of State was in office for less than 90 days but he enjoys all his entitlements as former head state and he sits on the meeting of the National Council of States.

" For goodness sake the military who pushed elected people out of office because they have the boot of the gun and at the end of the day they will now sit at a meeting as former heads of states and  former military presidents and enjoy all the prerequisites of office.”