Dogara’s camp blows hot over withdrawal of DSS operatives from Speaker

The camp of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday confirmed the withdrawal of Department of State Services (DSS) operatives from the head of the Green Chamber of the legislature.

It would be recalled that Senate President Bukola Saraki Dogara, suffered similar fate, as operatives attached to him too were reduced.

It was gathered that the DSS recalled 50 percent of agents attached to the National Assembly.

However, both leaders, perhaps studying the situation, are yet to provide an official reaction on the matter.

But Tuesday, a reliable source in the Dogara camp declared that what had happened was unfortunate.

The source also condemned the authority for attempting to act as if the recall of the DSS was fabricated.

He said: “I can confirm to you that the DSS has withdrawn 50 percent of its security details attached to the Speaker.

“If they say they didn’t withdraw them, the details that left were raptured?

Promising to give an update as events unfold, our source warned that the onslaught against the National Assembly should not be allowed to get out of hand.

On Monday, former new Peopes Democratic Party, PDP, members in the All Progressives Congress, APC, condemned developments in the last few days involving Saraki and Dogara.

A statement signed by Abubakar Kawu Baraje, lamented that Saraki and Dogara were being rubbished despited ongoing talks between members of the former nPDP, the APC and the Presidency in recent days.

“However, while we are truly and earnestly committed to achieving reconciliation, harmony, truce and cohesion in the APC as we approach the 2019 general elections, it is appears that the Presidency is not interested in the talks and that they may have been negotiating in bad faith.

“We were alarmed that immediately after our meeting with the Vice President last week, the presidency misrepresented what transpired at the meeting by trying to blackmail some of the principal actors involved in the discussions in a national daily.

“Similarly, the leadership of the party (APC) went ahead to ratify all the Congresses from ward, local governments, states and zonal where many of our members have complaints, effectively presenting us with a fait accompli.

“The persecution of our members using state security apparatus have continued unabated,” Baraje noted.

“We recognize the powers of the Police to conduct criminal investigations but by rushing to the public with the issue even when they have unfettered access to the leadership of the National Assembly suggests an attempt to undermine, caricature and humiliate the institution of the legislature.

“It appears that there is a fouled and toxic atmosphere and environment of intimidation and threat to life in which we now find ourselves which may no longer be conducive for members of the former nPDP to continue with the talk.”