‘I don’t know anything about tourism,’ Ndume rejects Senate Tourism Committee Chair

 

The Senator representing Borno South Ali Ndume has rejected the chairmanship of the Committee on Tourism in the upper lawmaking body. 

Ndume was sacked as the senate chief whip over comments he made criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s running of the country.

He was subsequently picked as the chairman of the Senate Community on Tourism, a move the vocal lawmaker has turned down.

“So, I’m not interested in accepting the committee on tourism for the two reasons I told you,” the Borno South lawmaker said in his Maiduguri hometown, 48 hours after he was sacked as the chief whip.

“I told you I’m inexperienced in that. I don’t know anything, I’m not knowledgeable about tourism. So, I would, if any, prefer to remain as an ordinary member so that I can learn about tourism.”

‘Act of God’ 

He likened his removal to an act of God.

“Secondly, the party that recommended to the Senate that I should be removed from being the chief whip of the Senate, I take that as an act of God because if it is God who gave me that position. It is God that took it through APC. So, I bear no grudges about that,” he said.

“After all, I did not contest to be the chief whip. I did not contest to be the vice chairman of the appropriation committee. I contested to be the se one of the Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and God granted me that victory and I’m happy with God, what God has given to me.”

‘I’m Not Wrong’

He also defended his comments, saying there was nothing wrong with them.

“I did not say anything wrong. And therefore I want to state that I stand by all my statements in the interview I granted,” the senator insisted.

“So, I know that I’m not wrong. The people are not wrong by speaking the truth and standing by the truth,” the 64-year-old.

“And I pray that the president who by now, I expect the message should have gotten to him, looks at what I have said and takes appropriate measures to eliminate the suffering of the people.”

Following his sack, there were calls for his resignation as a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

But Ndume said the decision to quit the APC requires consultations.

“So, I’m not a new member. I didn’t join APC just like that. It was in consultation with my people that I joined APC. I take his advice and I will get, I know across to my people,” the lawmaker said.