Jonathan and Tambuwal's Vote of Thanks

Why Did Jonathan Reach for Tambuwal’s (Speech) Vote of Thanks? by Tunde Rahman

 Aminu Waziri Tambuwal

A lot has been said and written about the scathing remarks by Senate President David Mark and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal during the 2013 budget presentation by President Jonathan and I do not intend to belabour the matter again, lest one incurs the wrath of the National Assembly. The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe who dabbled into the matter in a way deemed contemptuous of the National Assembly has already gotten a piece of the Senate’s tongue. Senate President David Mark asked the President to call his officials to order.

To be fair, though, perhaps the National Assembly leaders should have spared the President that day since he was their guest. Perhaps the lawmakers should have used another forum to make the points they made, valid as they were. I think also that the observations by Dr. Okupe, sound as they were, should have been done with caution and restraint. Perhaps those comments could have been made by some other officials of the government and not Okupe who is already known for his penchant for taking on the elected representatives of the people. And now the President’s Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters Senator joy Emordi has washed her hands clean of those comments.

But what I don’t understand is after all Tambuwal said in the speech he delivered, and not a vote of thanks he was supposed to give, President Jonathan still walked up to the Speaker and collected a copy of the speech. Why did Jonathan do that? What is the President up to? Does he want to study the speech or file it for record purpose? A presidential source told me the President collected the speech in order to give Speaker Tambuwal a detailed response to the points he raised. Ah, this President self. What is he up to?