TheNewsGuru

Tag: Dogara

  • SERAP wins in suit compelling Saraki, Dogara to account for N500bn ‘running cost’

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has won the latest round in the legal battle to compel the Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Dogara Yakubu to account for the spending of N500 billion as running cost for the legislative body between 2006 and 2016, and disclose monthly allowances of each member.

    Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday ruled, “I have looked at the papers filed by SERAP and I am satisfied that leave ought to be granted in this case for judicial review and an order of mandamus directing and compelling Saraki and Dogara to account for the spending of the running cost and disclose the monthly income and allowances of each Senator and member.”
    Hide quoted text

    Justice Aikawa granted the order for leave following the hearing of an argument in court on exparte motion by SERAP counsel Ms Bamisope Ibidolapo.

    The suit numbers FHC/L/CS/1711/16 and FHC/L/CS/1710/16 filed last December followed disclosure by Abdulmumin Jibrin that Nigerian Senators and House of Representatives members have pocketed N500 billion as ‘running cost’ out of the N1 trillion provided for in the National Assembly budgets between 2006 and 2016, and by former president Olusegun Obasanjo that each Senator goes home with nothing less than N15m monthly while each member receives nothing less than N10m monthly.

    The order by Justice Aikawa has now cleared the way for SERAP to advance its case against the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    The motion on notice is set for Tuesday 12 December, 2017 for the hearing of argument on why Saraki and Dogara should not be compelled to publish details of the spending on the running of the National Assembly and the exact monthly income and allowances of each Senator and member.

    The suits read in part: “Obedience to the rule of law by all citizens but more particularly those who publicly took oath of office to protect and preserve the constitution is a desideratum to good governance and respect for the rule of law. In a democratic society, this is meant to be a norm; it is an apostasy for government to ignore the provisions of the law and the necessary rules made to regulate matters”.

    “The Defendants will not suffer any injury or prejudice if the information is released to the members of the public. It is in the interest of justice that the information be released. Unless the reliefs sought herein are granted, the Defendants will continue to be in breach of the Freedom of Information Act, and other statutory responsibilities.

    “Up till the time of filing this action the Defendants/Respondents have failed, neglected and/or refused to make available the information requested by SERAP. The particulars of facts of the failure, negligence and refusal are contained in the verifying affidavit in support of the application and shall be relied upon at the hearing of this application. The Defendants/Respondents have no reason whatsoever to deny SERAP access to the information sought for.

    “By virtue of Section 1(1) of the FOI Act 2011, SERAP is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information which is in the custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution. Under the FOI, when a person makes a request for information from a public official, institution or agency, the public official, institution or agency to whom the application is under a binding legal obligation to provide the Plaintiff/Applicant with the information requested for, except as otherwise provided by the Act, within 7 days after the application is received.

    “The information requested for by SERAP relates to information about spending of N500 billion as running cost between 2006 and 2016, and the monthly income and allowances of each Senator and member. The information requested by SERAP does not come within the purview of the types of information exempted from disclosure by the provisions of the FOI Act. The information requested for, apart from not being exempted from disclosure under the FOI Act, bothers on an issue of National interest, public concern, social justice, good governance, transparency and accountability.

    “It is submitted that Section 4(a) of the FOI Act 2011 is a mandatory and absolute provision which imposes a binding legal duty or obligation on a public official, agency or institution to comply with a request for access to public information or records except where the FOI Act expressly permits an exemption or derogation from the duty to disclose. Nigerian courts have consistently held that the use of mandatory words such as “must” and “shall” in a statute is naturally prima facie imperative and admits of no discretion.”

  • Corruption: Declare position on suspended SGF, DG – Dogara tells Buhari

    A Former member of Niger House of Assembly, Alhaji Ahmed Dogara, on Saturday urged the Federal Government to declare it’s position on the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Director General of NIA.

    The presidency on April 19, suspended from office the SGF, Babachir Lawal, and the Director-General of the NIA, Ayo Oke, pending the conclusion of investigations by a panel set up by the president.

    The panel, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, was to investigate allegations of contract fraud and bribery against Lawal by the Senate and the N13 billion found in an Ikoyi apartment by EFCC, claimed by the NIA.

    Dogara told newsmen in Minna that making public pronouncements about the two suspended public officers would send signal to public officers to desist from taking pleasure in looting public treasury.

    He said that many Nigerians had expressed worries about the case of SGF, NIA boss and the lists of corrupt officers that nearly ruined this country had remained a nightmare to the public.

    He said it was high time for the Federal Government to act fast to enable Nigerians to strengthen their political will in exposing public officers lootinh the national treasury.

    He commended the president for the immediate disengagement of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, from federal service.

    ”Mr. President showed, as he had done now, that he can hire and fire to salvage the bad situation in the polity.”

    ” President Buhari’s commitment to fight corruption these years that made the majority of the masses to support his candidature, is the same step that can earn this government votes in the next election in 2019″ he said.

     

  • Dogara cautions against mismanagement of North East Development Commission

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has cautioned stakeholders from the North East geo-political zone not to mismanage the newly created North East Development Commission.
    Hon Dogara said that people of the region must justify the trust reposed in them by the President and members of the National Assembly from the rest of the country who unanimously supported the passage of the NEDC bill in the two chambers.
    Speaking when he received a delegation from Bama Emirate Council, Borno State, led by his royal highness, the Shehu of Bama, Alhaji Shehu Kyari Umar Ibn Ibrahim El-Kanemi, which paid him a visit in his office, he said that the North East has suffered devastation that will take decades to rebuild, hence the need for a precise and confirmed law that can provide the legal backing for its recovery.
    The Speaker also used the occasion to reaffirm his earlier position that the NEDC will not be mismanaged, even as he urged all elders and stakeholders to unite in ensuring that the objective of the NEDC Act is fully achieved.
    He also advised that while celebration is ongoing for the signing into law by President Buhari, there should be a consciousness among everyone in the region that its purpose cannot be abused so as not to break the trust that Nigerians, through their representatives in the House and Senate, reposed on them by approving the passage of the Act.
    Hon. Dogara explained the rationale behind the creation of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), saying the decision was reached after careful consideration on the best tool to employ for the long run rehabilitation, reconstruction and rebuilding of the North East region.
    He explained that the decision to make a law was chosen as the best since it can outlive any administration, unlike in the case of policies or other similar adhoc interventions.
    “As true leaders and representatives of the zone, our true focus has been what we can do in order to ensure that we build on the successes that this government is recording in its fight against terrorism and ultimately to ensure that we do not have a relapse in that zone with this kind of situation we have found ourselves. The region is behind in all human development indices and businesses, factories, schools have been destroyed. I think as we speak, perhaps the only productive enterprise that we have in the north east is Ashaka Cement.
    “So from day one when we started meeting, our thinking was how we can ensure that whatever policies are developed by government aimed at tackling the myriad of challenges facing us as a zone are those that will survive whoever is President now. It became clear to us that if we leave everything at the level of policy, granted that we have a President now that support and loves our people, he will not continue to be there forever. But the truth is that the level of devastation occasioned by this insurgency is such that it is going to take us decades to recover from. If you were to quantify the infrastructure,wealth and everything that we have lost, we will be talking about trillions. So you can imagine in terms of national budget, where are we going to get these trillions to channel to the north east? In the next 10, 20 years it is not possible. So even to recover what we have lost, we are talking about decades, not even years.
    “So that is why as skillful legislators, we decided that we will go for NEDC. A lot of people thought it was not necessary, some even thought we wanted to create a pool, like an oasis of prosperity in the desert so that some few privileged sons and daughters in the region can just mismanage the resources.
    “If these interventions are left at the level of policies, any subsequent government that comes that doesn’t love our people that much will with a stroke of pen just strike out the policy and that is the end. So, the thinking was if we take this to the level of a law, then any future government that seeks to reverse this will have to first come and lobby members of the National Assembly for them to repeal that law.”
    This is just as he commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the wife of the president, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, for supporting the coming to being of the NEDC.
    “Let me also thank Mr President that the efforts of this current government, including the security agencies, for the very extraordinary sacrifices they put in place in order to ensure some sanity in our region.
    “We have witnessed progress. Some have said Boko Haram has been degraded, some have said they have been decapitated, some have even considered that they have been defeated but whatever the situation is, the most important thing is for our people to go back to where they were and for them to have hope that in the environment God has given us, they can continue to contend for the best things of life. That is what is important. The debate shouldn’t be about the degrading or decapitating of Boko Haram, but the survivors, the IDPs and in building these communities, homes that were shattered on account of terrorism.
    “We must also not forget the role of the First Lady. Members who are here will remember that when we had the public hearing for the Bill, she personally led wives of governors to come and witness that hearing.”
    Dogara also informed the delegation that a reoccurrence of what happened in the past should be avoided at all cost, as the signs that fuelled the terrorism were there but were ignored by the stakeholders.
    “The signs were there, it’s just that we didn’t notice it on time. For years in this country, the North East has always come last in terms of budgetary allocation, in spite of the fact that we face more challenges than other zones and when it comes to human development indices we are almost the last. Not even almost, we are the last in the country. But we didn’t pay attention. When population curve was going up sharply and opportunity curve was nosediving, we didn’t pay attention. I don’t know the correlation between violence and poverty but I’ve seen that in societies where hope abounds, it is always easier to tame the incidence of violence but where you find extreme poverty, the likelihood of violence is always there and I guess that was where we missed it.”
    He thanked the delegation for the visit and encouraged them to keep persevering, praying that soon they will be able to return to their domain.
    “Hope is returning, let’s continue to support the government and security agencies,” he added.
    Earlier, His Royal Highness, Shehu El-Kanemi, described the Speaker as a “dynamic political leader of the North East,” expressing great appreciation to the Speaker for the support and dedication given to the quest for the rehabilitation, reintegration and reconstruction of the north east and it’s people.

  • BREAKING: Saraki, Dogara, other NASS members terminate visit to Buhari in Aso Villa, over ill-treatment by presidency

    The Senate president, Bukola Saraki, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Yakubu Dogara alongside other principal officers of the National Assembly on Thursday terminated a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Villa, Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com gathered from a source very close to the leadership of NASS, that the said invitation by the presidency was shunned as a result of the ill-treatment meted on the lawmakers by Buhari’s men on their arrival at Aso Villa.

    They [lawmakers] were at the villa to meet with Buhari over the 2018 appropriation bill.

    “They went to Villa on invitation in a bus and they were told by Buhari’s security details that some of the senators are to get down to walk, while only the Senate President and and Speaker were allowed to stay in their cars; the senate President declined and turned back”

    As at the time TheNewsGuru.com filed this report, all the lawmakers were reportedly at Saraki’s residence. They have been receiving calls from the Presidency to return.

    Details soon…

     

  • Dogara hails Buhari for assenting to North East Development Commission Bill

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the North East Development Commission Bill into law.

    In a terse statement personally signed by the Speaker, he commended the President’s sensitivity to the plight of the highly traumatised people of the North East.

    ” I expect that the expeditious coming into force of the commission will remedy the long years of underdevelopment suffered by the region. The recovery and redevelopment of the zone devastated by terrorism is expected to last decades.”

    It will be recalled that the North East Development Commission establishment Bill was sponsored by the Speaker in 2015.

    He had also moved a motion for which the House passed a resolution calling for the recovery, resettlement, and rebuilding of the violence-ravaged region and the convocation of an international donor conference for total reconstruction and rebuilding of the region.

  • We’ll not condone activities inimical to sports development In Nigeria – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has said the National Assembly will not tolerate any activity that will have adverse effect on the development of sports in Nigeria.

    He also called for more focus on harnessing the business potentials of sports in Nigeria to boost the economy and develop the sector to global standards.

    Dogara was speaking at a public hearing on 3 Sports related bills which be declared open at the National Assembly.

    The Speaker also expressed hope that the 3 bills will improve administration and management of the industry, establish institutions and agencies that will enable it realise its full potentials and capacity.

    He also called on stakeholders to make meaningful contributions that will enrich the proposed laws.

    “These Bills represent elements of change required to reposition the Nigerian Sports sector. To state that the sector has been on a steady downslide is stating the obvious. Hence, to concretise strategy on effective administration and management of the industry as well as establish institutions and agencies to enable it realise its full potentials and capacity is most timely for the sanctity of the sector and integrity of Nigeria in the comity of nations.

    “The Sport industry is one of the critical sectors of the economy. Over the years, sport has become a global economic and business undertaking; the need to get serious in this context cannot be overemphasised. Most importantly the sector represents a safe haven for the youths, where they are, in most cases, recognised nationally and internationally. Most importantly perhaps is the reality that sports has remained one of the greatest unifying factors to Nigeria as a nation for we all are indebted.

    “The cardinal aim of the third Bill, to establish Nigerian Sports anti-doping agency devoid of internal or external interference is very crucial, particularly to comply with the express requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Nigeria being a signatory. Also, the Bill will not only create awareness among athletes but restore the integrity and confidence in sporting activities.

    “The National Assembly, as partner in the Nigerian project, will not condone activities inimical to the development of the Sports industry. I assure you that members of the committee, who are seasoned administrators and professionals in varied disciplines, understand the magnitude of the task before them and are prepared to consult extensively on these Bills to arrive at logical and functional conclusions.”

    The 3 bills are

    i. A Bill for an Act to repeal The Nigerian Football Association Act, CAP. N110, Laws of The Federation Of Nigeria, 2004 and re-enact the Nigeria Football Federation Act To Provide For the administration of the game of football in Nigeria.

    ii. A bill for an Act to provide for the administration and management of sports in Nigeria, establishment of sports institutions and facilities, harness sports for development and to encourage and promote drug-free sports and recreation in Nigeria.

    iii. A Bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Sports Anti-doping Agency responsible for carrying on the functions of Nigeria Anti-doping Code in accordance with the various international standards.

  • I have hope that the future of Nigeria is secured – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has expressed hope that Nigeria’s future is secured owing to the commitment of the people to God.

    Delivering a sermon titled “The place of God in nation building”, at the pre-event prayer session for the National Prayer Breakfast organized by Christian Legislators’ Fellowship at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Hon. Dogara, noted that all hope is not lost for the country.

    “As in the case of Abraham’s encounter with God over the fate of the city Sodom and Gomorrah, God will intervene to save this country. What gives me hope is that we have so many people who are committed to God that the future of Nigeria is secured. We have a very bright future, we have great army of leaders in this country”, he said.

    Reading from the book of Isaiah 60:12, he urged all Nigerians, leaders and followers alike to return to God because as it is written in the Holy Bible “For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.”

    He also quoted from Robert Cooper, one of Europe’s most respected scholar-diplomats, who in his book titled: “The Breaking of Nations”, warned that “the twenty-first century may be worse” than any previous time in history, because “the new century risks being overrun by both anarchy and technology…”

    “I like the idea that only few of us are here. Jesus wasn’t a fan of a crowd. He chose few, almost all of them successful Professionals. Luke was a physician, Mathew an accountant, Peter and others running a successful fishing company. Every change or revolution has always been promoted by few change agents and early adaptors. Bulk of the people always come later.” He stated.

    The Speaker argued that no nation can be built without God who is the “source, foundation, , supporter, and sustainer of His people.”

    “The times in which we live. Millions have watched the efforts of America, Britain and the United Nations to rebuild Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq and other struggling countries. While it is shocking to see the devastation and suffering caused by war, it has also been sobering to witness the difficulties, frustrations and intrigues that have accompanied these human-driven attempts to intervene and rebuild nations where millions have been abused and exploited.”

    He noted that failing nations and cultural decline have made nation building a major concern in our world today. There is no shortage of candidates willing to tackle the challenge. Communists, socialists, monarchists, dictators and democracies—and even religious leaders—have all tried their hand at solving these problems. Yet none have found the key for building truly successful nations or salvaging faltering countries.

    All nations today are struggling with their peculiar problems, thus, according to him, “will God descend from heaven to rebuild this nation? Will God send angels to rebuild our nation? God didn’t do it for Israel and He won’t do it for Nigeria. This responsibility rests on our shoulders and whether we succeed or not depend on the source of our wisdom. Without God nothing works. Except we are back in our Eden we cannot accomplish the task of nation building.”

    The National Prayer Breakfast is organized annually on the last Thursday of the month of October and Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo is expected to deliver the sermon at the main event on Thursday morning in Abuja

  • SERAP to Saraki, Dogara: ‘Withdraw directives to banks to unfreeze Mrs Jonathan’s accounts’

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr Yakubu Dogara to “Urgently withdraw the patently unconstitutional directives to some banks to unfreeze former First Lady Mrs Patience Jonathan’s accounts.”

    The organization said that, “the directives to banks to unfreeze Mrs Jonathan’s accounts amount to mingling of the executive and judicial powers in the National Assembly. Checks and balances should ideally help contribute to the rule of law and strengthening our democratic dispensation but if one branch of government grows too strong and overreaching the country might be in trouble.”

    In a statement signed on Sunday by SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale the organization said that, “It’s an affront to our constitutional democracy for the National Assembly to turn itself into a tool for checkmating the country’s justice system, especially the prosecution of grand corruption. Rather than helping Mrs Jonathan’s desire to achieve justice for what she may consider to be violations of her human rights, such directives are doing exactly the opposite and politicising the criminal justice process.”

    The Senate had last week decided that Mrs Jonathan’s accounts should be unfrozen, saying that some of the accounts including with Stanbic IBTC, First Bank, Union Bank, Diamond Bank, Fidelity Bank, Ecobank and Bank Zenith Bank were frozen based on some administrative lapses. It claimed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) used the banks to close the accounts without due process of law. The House of Representatives in September gave a similar directive to the banks to free the former first lady’s blocked accounts.

    But SERAP said that, “Nigerians are concerned about their lawmakers’ thirst for power, and about the National Assembly aggrandizing its legislative powers without sufficient checks and constitutional scrutiny and validity. The National Assembly ought to focus the exercise of its legislative powers solely on making laws for the peace, order and good government of our country, addressing only matters of prime national concern, and when necessary, checking the excesses of the executive branch.”

    The statement reads in part: “The directives purportedly unfreezing the accounts of Mrs Jonathan will not give the public the confidence that the National Assembly will change its ways and embrace the rule of law.”

    “The National Assembly should not show itself as incapable and unwilling to address the concerns of Nigerians about its operations and apparent lack of transparency. These kinds of interventions by the National Assembly could portray our lawmakers in the eyes of Nigerians as forgetting what they are in Abuja to do.”

    “The Senate and House of Representatives should advise Mrs Jonathan to seek appropriate judicial remedies if she feels the criminal justice mechanisms have violated her human rights. That’s the essence of the rule of law, separation of powers and checks and balances. The supposed directives to banks have unfortunately again put the reputation of the National Assembly at stake.”

    “What Nigerians want and deserve is a balanced sharing of constitutional powers for the sake of the public good, and not ‘Imperial National Assembly’, a National Assembly that sits on its throne in Abuja and treats Nigerians as serfs in their fiefdoms.”

    “If the body that makes law also controls its execution, implementation and interpretation, it can effectively tailor the laws to help itself and its friends and hurt its perceived enemies. It can thwart the virtue of impartial general law-making by rendering it a tool for singling out.”

  • Gowon @ 85: Dogara pays tribute to former head of State

    …Says Gowon is symbol of genuine statesmanship, patriotism

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has paid a glowing tribute to former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, describing him as an inspirational leader and symbol of genuine patriotism and statesmanship.

    In a message to mark General Gowon’s 85th Birthday, issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, Speaker Dogara hailed the former Head of State for his relentless commitment to the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.

    “His Excellency, General Gowon has been known for demonstrating uncommon patriotism, courage, vision and statesmanship as well as a genuine commitment to national unity and integration both during his active years as a head of government and even now as an elder statesman.”

    He described Gowon as a peace-maker and fine Military officer who worked for the preservation of the nation’s unity by bringing together all the constituent regions of Nigeria and keeping the country one after the unfortunate civil war.

    “Gowon’s unwavering commitment, excellent leadership disposition, vision as well as his ability to galvanize the broad spectrum of Nigerian society are testimonies of the success of his popular slogan, ‘To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done,’ and his unequivocal love for peace, harmony and corporate existence of the country.”

    While congratulating General Gowon on the occasion of his 85th Birthday, the Speaker prayed God to grant the elder statesman more years of excellent health, wisdom and selfless service to God, country and humanity.

  • Inadequate funding responsible for increasing security challenges in Nigeria – Dogara

    The Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara has identified inadequate funding as one of the challenges hindering security agencies in the country from performing their duties effectively.

    Dogara spoke on Saturday at the opening of a two-day security retreat organisd by the House Committee on Army in conjunction with a German-based NGO, “Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS)’’.

    The Speaker was represented by Rep. Babangida Ibrahim, Chairman, House Finance Committee.

    He explained that a motion moved by a member of the House earlier in 2017 informed the retreat, to discuss the challenges militating against the security agencies in the performance of their duties.

    The theme of the retreat was: “Re-energising Military and other security Forces to meet urgent National Demands.’’

    Dogara noted that though it was the responsibility of Nigerians to secure their lives, such mandate rest squarely on the security agencies.

    He, however, said that security agencies that were under funded would not be able to secure the people and defend the nation.

    “We, therefore, have the responsibility to clarify ourselves as lawmakers on the true state of our security agencies.

    “First of all, we cannot claim that we do not know.

    “Our committee have been embarking on oversight tours to the security agencies, some of the reports that we have received are that the investments we are making in the security agencies are clearly inadequate,’’ he said.

    Dogara stressed the need for training and retraining of the personnel to be able to handle the various security challenges confronting the nation.

    He, however, added that while it is their mandate to protect the people, they must do so, respecting human rights.

    “It is therefore, important that irrespective of the challenges, the security agencies need to add the issue of human rights to the curriculum of their training.

    Dogara expressed delight that the top brass of the military and sister agencies were now sitting together on same table, reasoning to strengthen relationship among security agencies.

    “This form of cooperation and understanding need to be taught and enforce at the tactical and operation levels.

    “The sad story of security agencies using guns on one another should no longer be tolerated,’’ he said.

    In a remark, the KAS Resident Representative, Mrs Hildegard Behrendit-Kigozi, described Nigeria as an important country, promising that the NGO was ready to contribute its quota to boost the security of its people.

    She said that her organisation had been in the country 15 years ago, working with many sectors, including the Parliament, security and health for the good of the country.

    Also speaking, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali commended the House for its initiative to investigate pressing needs and thereby finding solutions to their legislative and budgetary needs.

    Dan-Ali said that the agencies had been able to address some of the contemporary security challenges in the nation such as terrorism, kidnapping, farmers/herdsmen crisis, IPOB activities and ethno-religious crisis.

    He noted that those challenges posed security threats not only to the nation but the West Africa sub-region and world at large.