by Chi Ibe

Farouk Lawan, embattled member of the House of Representatives is yet to see an end to his travails.

Before he could get a bit of fresh air after his release from police custody days ago, the “honourable” member of the house was hit with a fresh battle from his constituents over his alleged involvement in the $3 million bribery scandal rocking the House: some of his constituents are plotting to initiate his recall from the House, the Leadership reports.

 Investigations show that some of his constituents of Shanono/Bagwai federal constituency of Kano State had already commenced the compilation of signatures for onward transmission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the representative’s recall.

And it’s not just his constituents; even politicians in the opposition Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) are taking full advantage of Lawan’s travails and are pushing for more signatories from his constituency for a petition to begin the process of his recall.

Following the revelation of Lawan’s illegal involvement in the fuel subsidy scam probe, the leadership of the House removed him as the chairman of the ad-hoc committee on the petroleum subsidy and chairman, House Committee on Education.

A source in the House told the Leadership that Lawan did not carry any of his colleagues along in what transpired. “We cannot vouch for him. We are not even sure whether he is with us or with the executive arm of government. Let him sort himself out. The credibility of the whole House cannot be called into question because of the alleged act of one member” the source said.

Shuaibu Abubakar Fagge,a former House of Representatives aspirant of the Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] for Fagge constituency in the last general election,  condemned the action of the lawmaker and hailed the action of the legislators that suspended him from the chairmanship of the committee, saying that what the House did was “in order, proper and followed the due process of the law”.

“Farouk should be recalled, then prosecuted in order to face the consequence of his action,” Abubakar said.

 He called for a thorough probe into the bribery scandal because, “Nigerians will love to see how the lawmaker that has been presenting himself as leader of the Integrity Group will stoop so low to demand for a bribe. Let the whole truth come out and everyone involved in the bribery scandal identified and their names made public,” he said.

Secretary of the ANPP, Alhaji Rabi’u Bako said that Farouk’s action has demonstrated how PDP has been responsible for corrupt practices in the country since the return of democracy in the country in 1999.

 The lawmaker, however, is to report at the police station on a daily basis while the investigation lasted.