The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige was at daggers drawn with Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Hon. James Faleke during the week over the suspension of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
In a short video of the encounter which has since taken social media by storm, Ngige can be seen reprimanding Faleke during a hearing of the House Adhoc Committee on the NSITF.
Faleke, who is a Kogi State indigene, represents Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives.
Like many members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, he is a protégé of APC National Leader and former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Shifting through a pile of documents, Ngige says, “As for Faleke, they say he is up to 60 years of age, I don’t know.”
Faleke, whose voice can be heard in the background, retorted: “I am 60 plus.”
Continuing, Ngige said,“Aha! So, you are near my age, but I am at least 7 years older than you. I am the same age as your mentor in Lagos, Asiwaju. And I was governor with him at the same time, he was a senator, I was a senator. I am a two-time minister, he isn’t a two-time minister…”
Not willing to let the snide remark slide, Faleke fires back, “But he (Asiwaju) won all his elections very well.”
The lawmaker was referring to a Court of Appeal judgement which nullified the election of Ngige as Governor of Anambra State in 2006. He was elected in 2003. He also failed in his bids to become governor in 2007 and 2011.
He equally failed in his bid for the Anambra Central senatorial district seat in 2015, losing to Uche Ekwunife.
The minister also got his pound of flesh, stating, “No problem about that. Just like you won your own in Kogi State very well.”
Faleke had contested as running mate to gubernatorial candidate, Abubakar Audu in Kogi in 2015.
Although they were leading in the polls, Audu died suddenly before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the official resuls.
This compelled their party, the APC, to transfer their votes to Yahaya Bello, who came second in the gubernatorial primaries of the party.
A subsequent court case by Faleke to be recognised as the party’s candidate failed.
“And you are now the deputy governor and governor of Kogi State,” Ngige twisted the knife.
Watch video:
Ngige to honourable faleke: you're a small boy, if you yab me I yab you back. I am a Lagos boy o. you grew in mushin I grew in VI. tah!!!! pic.twitter.com/SQFgh8UMk0
— Terry Ikumi (@terryikumi) July 22, 2020
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