TheNewsGuru

Tag: Dogara

  • We won’t accept execuses for non-payment of pensions- Dogara

    We won’t accept execuses for non-payment of pensions- Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has urged the executive to ensure that all backlog of pension payments are made promptly, adding that no excuse will be accepted for failure to do so.

    Dogara gave this charge on Thursday after the minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and that of Budget and Planning, Sen Udoma Udo Udoma, briefed the House on efforts made so far to offset arrears owed to Nigerian pensioners.

    The Speaker said he was confident of the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari that issues surrounding non-payment of pensions to retired Federal civil servants will be addressed.
    The Speaker recalled that when President Buhari made a promise to provide bailout funds to states for payment of backlog of salaries, he endured that it was done.

    He said, “We will not accept any excuse that leaves part of this pension funds hanging. When the President made a commitment that he was going to release money for bailout to States so that they can pay backlog of salaries and pensions, it happened, even though we were in the midst of a very biting recession. Now the President has said this issue of pension must be solved.
    “I don’t know where you got the money to bail out the states from, wherever you got the money from, that is where we are going to get the money to solve this problem. And for the ministers who are representatives of the president, I believe you won’t make him (Buhari)
    break his words because his words are cherished. I want to believe this will be the last intervention we will be having with regards to the issue of pensions in this country. That is my charge.
    “The message the House will be sending to the President through the Ministers is, when you meet him to brief him about this engagement, just tell him that we have taken his words to the bank and we believe that we will cash it.”

    In his remarks, president of National Union of Pensioners (NUP), Dr Abel Afolayan, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, Speaker Dogara and the House of Representatives for listening to their issues and taking action.

    He, however, appealed to the executive to speedily pay the 33 percent arrears, preferably within a month, especially as police pensioners were paid for 3 months out of 42 and they cannot protest in or out of service.

  • Nigeria is burial ground for good ideas – Dogara laments

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Wednesday described Nigeria as a “burial ground for good ideas.”

    Dogara made the remark at the launch of the Economic Recovery Growth Plan, ERGP, at the Presidential villa, Abuja.

    The Speaker assured that the lower legislative chamber will pay close attention to the economic plan to ensure that it does not end up like other programmes in the past.

    According to Dogara, “Today marks one of those days that some of us who are students of economic development will be proud.

    “For the first time, the plan has the inputs of all stakeholders. I am happy that the inputs of the national assembly, most of it was adopted. I have no doubt that if properly implemented, it will turn around the economy.

    “My concern was the implementation but we have been reassured by the minister that it will not go the way of good visions that failed because they were never implemented. We have in the person of Mr President a good captain.

    “I pledged the unalloyed support of the house to the implementation of this document, and we promise that we will follow through to see that it being implemented… because this nation is a burial ground for good ideas, some ideas were never implemented.”

  • Why we met separately with Buhari behind closed doors – Saraki, Dogara

    Why we met separately with Buhari behind closed doors – Saraki, Dogara

    Leaders of the National Assembly, Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara have explained why they both met with President Muhammadu Buhari separately behind close doors on Monday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Buhari first met with Dogara before meeting Saraki.

    Each of the meeting lasted for about 40 minutes.

    The Senate President and the Speaker, who both spoke to State House correspondents after the meetings, said they had “routine consultation” with the President.

    Dogara dismissed the assertion that he was in the Villa over crisis between the executive and the legislature.

    Dogara said: “It baffles me when people see you visit Mr. President, the assumption out there is that something is going wrong.

    “Nothing is wrong. It is just a routine consultation. You might look at it as crisis, but I don’t look at it as crisis.

    “You know I have always said this that as a government our value will be the problems we have solved.

    “We can’t be remembered for avoiding or running away from problems.

    “It is only when‎ we provide solution to some of the things you refer to as crises and we look at them as opportunities to begin anew that people will now remember us for putting down enduring legacies.”

    On the proposed protest against the recent activities at the National Assembly, Dogara said Nigerians were free to express their views peacefully.

    He said: “This is a democracy we are running and we have to open the space to civil society, to everyone who feels aggrieved to be able to air his grievances.

    “So, if they have grievances against the institution of the legislature, we will take it.”

     

  • Buhari, Dogara meet in Aso Villa

    Buhari, Dogara meet in Aso Villa

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed doors with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    It was also gathered that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki was expected to join the meeting.

    Dogara arrived the Villa at exactly 12 noon.

    The meeting may not be unconnected with the face-off between the Executive and the legislative arms of government.

    The grey areas included the summons of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, who was to appear in uniform, the rejection of Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the extension of tenure of a Permanent Secretary by the President which the House of Representatives is currently kicking against.

    The Presidency last week set up a committee to meet with the leadership of both Chambers of the National Assembly to reach a compromise on the issues.

    The committee chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has membership including ex-lawmakers in the cabinet.

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

  • Buhari can’t eliminate corruption in Nigeria – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said no one in Nigeria or the world at large can entire eliminate corruption.

    Dogara noted that any leader who thinks he/she can eliminate corruption should be thinking of wiping out the entire human race.

    Speaking in an interview with Daily Trust, the Speaker noted that even advanced countries still grapple with the fight against corruption.

    “And the issue of corruption itself is not something that can be eliminated completely. What you can do is to reduce it to the barest minimum, to a level that is almost seen as non-existent.

    “It’s not that corruption has been eliminated in the advanced countries we try so much to copy or speak glowingly of what they have been able to achieve.

    “We have seen this hydra-headed monster called corruption rearing its head even in elections of certain jurisdictions. Clearly, the signs are there, but our collective effort is that we reduce it to the barest minimum.

    “I lack the English word to describe anyone who thinks he would eliminate corruption. To eliminate it will amount to eliminating the totality of the human race. This is because no human being is clothed in perfection. All we can do is to reduce it to the barest minimum.

    “To eliminate it will amount to eliminating the totality of the human race. This is because no human being is clothed in perfection. All we can do is to reduce it to the barest minimum,” Dogara said.

  • 2017 Budget: We won’t allow Buhari, APC to be disgraced – Dogara

     

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said the House will do everything possible to ensure easy passage of the proposed 2017 budget to avoid a repeat of the mess that happened with the 2016 budget.

    The Speaker said the lawmakers are working round the clock to ensure President Muhammadu Buhari overcome the current challenges and even come out stronger.

    Dogara stated this while addressing a round-table on the N7.29trillion budget proposal, organised by the All Progressives Congress, APC Governors in Abuja on Monday.

    “I must say that the APC as the party with majority in the National Assembly will not allow Mr. President and the APC as the ruling political party to be humiliated or defeated on its budget priorities as we are all part of the same government,” he said.

    Dogara also insisted they were very sensitive about constituency matters irrespective of party affiliation.

    “It is however, important to stress that on budget matters members of the National Assembly tend to be very sensitive to their constituency representational functions, irrespective of party,” he said.

    He promised that the passage and implementation of the budget would be transparent.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the 2016 budget was marred with several controvercies that revolved around padding the budget with several items and figures that were not in the originals as presented by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

  • Dogara calls for lasting solutions to Niger Delta problems

    Dogara calls for lasting solutions to Niger Delta problems

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has advocated for a permanent solution to the crisis of the Niger Delta region.
    Dogara who was represented by House Minority Leader Hon. Leo Ogor, said this when he declared open an investigative hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement and Niger Delta Affairs on the alleged violation of public procurement Act/Abuses of the Amnesty Programme in Abuja.
    The Speaker states that as representatives of the people, the House noted the urgent need to take necessary steps to solve the problems bedevilling the amnesty proggramme, and restore it to the ideals for which it was set up.
    “Let me use this opportunity to state that a more permanent solution which directly empowers the areas and stakeholders where oil and gas is produced should be instituted in order to achieve better fiscal, social and environmental equity,” he said.
    “It is in this regard, that we welcome the recent announcement of the Hon Minister of State, Petroleum, of the unveiling of a 20-point agenda aimed at instituting permanent peace in the oil-producing region.”
    “It is worthy of note that the activities of the militants cost, Nigeria, the giant of Africa to lose its position as the largest producer and exporter of oil in the African continent.”
    The Speaker said observed that efforts aimed at alleviating the plight of the Niger Delta and the ex- militants has been plagued with several challenges which include allegations of lack of transparency; fraud; diversion and mismanagement of Amnesty funds; refusal of Agencies to release funds for the effective running of the programme and in some instances outright corruption and impunity.
    “These challenges have led to the renewed tension, agitation and militancy in the region since 2015. Indeed Nigeria lost about 3,000 MW of electricity to militancy activities in the Niger Delta, since then, according to Raji Fashola, SAN, the Hon Minister of Works, Power, and Housing.”
    “We as a parliament, committed ourselves in our Legislative Agenda to support the Executive arm of government in its efforts to ensure transparency and strict adherence to mandatory Public Procurement processes as provided in our laws (Public Procurement Act 2007), and this cannot be compromised in its application to the Presidential Amnesty Program.”

  • Dogara mourns Rep Bello

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has expressed shock over the death of Hon. Bello Sani representing Mashi/Dutsi Federal Constituency of Katsina State.

    In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media & Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan, Dogara said he is saddened by the sudden death of Hon. Bello whom he described as hardworking, committed and patriotic legislator.

    “Our late colleague was humane, principled and a cosmopolitan who interacted freely with all members,” the Speaker said.

    “Our heartfelt condolences goe to his immediate family, government and people of Katsina State and his colleagues and the government and people of Nigeria.”

    “We pray God to give all of us the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

    The late Hon. Bello was a member of the Katsina State House of Assembly before his subsequent election to House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Prior to these, he had been the chairman of Mashi local government.

    The late Bello attended Mashi Primary School in 1974, Government Day Secondary School Mashi and Hassan Usman Polytechnic, Katsina in 1996.

    He died at the age of 51leaving behind his wife and children.

  • Nigerians are hungry, poverty is evident everywhere – Dogara

     

    …inaugurates technical team to end recession

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has said the current economic crisis experienced in the country is becoming unbearable for some Nigerians as they find it difficult to feed and carry out their basic day-to-day responsibilities.

    However, as part of plans to make life better for ordinary Nigerians, the Speaker on Tuesday inaugurated a technical committee on Economic Recession.

    The committee, comprising of 16 erudite professionals with vast experience in economics and sundry issues, is to monitor the various steps and policies of the Government aimed at taking Nigeria out of recession.

    While delivering a speech during the inauguration at the National Assembly, Dogara said the technical committee of the House will craft “enduring legislative tools to be deployed in helping policy makers and implementors adhere to timelines in their drive to exit recession and return Nigeria to sustainable economic growth and prosperity.”

    He expressed dismay that, “some of our people can no longer afford to feed. Some school children are dropping out of school due to inability of parents to pay school fees. Transportation, power, healthcare are difficult for the ordinary citizens. There is general anguish on the faces of Nigerians due to poverty and hunger.

    “We cannot, however, continue to lament. The problems are well known. At this point in time, it is the solutions that matters more and that is what should engage our attention. As a parliament, we are committed to ensuring that the sufferings experienced by ordinary Nigerians are alleviated.

    “These challenges may appear too difficult to surmount but the good news is that they are surmountable. Other nations have surmounted greater economic challenges in the past and Nigeria’s case cannot be different.”

    The Speaker noted that what Nigeria needed at this point in time was solutions to the problems of the economy and added that, “as a parliament, we are committed to ensuring that the sufferings experienced by ordinary Nigerians are alleviated.

    “These challenges may appear too difficult to surmount but the good news is that they are surmountable. Other nations have surmounted greater economic challenges in the past and Nigeria’s case cannot be different.

    “We in the National Assembly have aligned with the executive arm of government to turn around the economy by focusing on priorities that will make maximum impact on economic recovery and respectable growth.

    “As partners in progress, the National Assembly had in 2016 offered wide ranging legislative and other economic ideas and solutions to the Executive in a concurrent Resolution of both Chambers. Senate Resolution (S/Res./018/02/16) and House Resolution (HR.107/2016) refers.”

    He recalled that the decision to partner with the executive to tackle the recession was in line with keeping with his promise during the inauguration of this 8th Assembly on the 9th of June, 2015, when he said, “we as a parliament can only justify the confidence of our people by keeping faith with our duties of Law making, Representation and Oversight of the Executive arm of government.

    “However, in spite of our responsibility for checking and balancing the Executive, good governance can only be effected when all arms of government are working in harmony and partnership to bring about the CHANGES voted for by Nigerians on March 28, 2015”.

    “In a similar vein, we affirmed that the centre point of our legislative agenda will be to collaborate with the various arms of government and the Senate to legislate for the common good of the Nigerian citizens with emphasis on reforms that will promote rapid national economic growth and development, tackle poverty, unemployment…. Indeed our major legislative initiative was to support diversification of Nigeria’s economy to foster its development from mono product economy to an economy with a diversified base.

    “To this end, we introduced Sectoral Debate on various aspects of the economy as a legislative initiative to address the national economic problems”, he added.

     

  • 306 died in tanker accidents last year, roads will be safer in 2017 – Dogara assures

    Burdened by the incessant tanker crashes and the attendant loss of lives on Nigerian roads, the House of Representatives on Tuesday said it is making frantic moves to make Nigerian roads safe again for all categories of users.

    The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara said it was unfortunate that in 2016 alone, 306 people lost their lives to accidents involving petrol tanker/trailers.

    This is in addition to 750 others which left victims with various degrees of injuries, he added, while explaining that this necessitated the urgent intervention by the House of Representatives to ensure that such incidents are reduced to the barest minimum.

    Dogara, while declaring a public hearing on the need for government to address the menace of accidents involving fuel tankers organised by the Adhoc Committee To address The Menace of Accidents Involving Fuel Tankers at the National open, expressed concern that despite legislations and concerted efforts by agencies of government, road traffic unions and associations to halt accidents involving articulated vehicles namely trailers and tankers on major highways across the country, they still contribute a good number of deaths recorded on our roads.

    He stated, “Reports from the FRSC indicate that between January to December 2016, petrol tanker/trailers were involved in at least 338 cases of road traffic crashes, consisting of 306 death and 750 others with various degrees of injuries.

    “The tasks before the ad-hoc Committee is to find out the causes of the accidents involving fuel tankers and other articulated vehicles. Whether they are as a result of the design of our roads, the vehicle, human errors, recklessness or mental state of the drivers and to liaise with relevant stakeholders to fashion out ways of reducing, in the short-run and ultimately eliminating these destructive accidents which are claiming unquantifiable number of lives and property across the country.”

    The Speaker expressed optimism that the enforcement of speed limit, which the parliament approved last year, will reduce the number of accidents and make Nigerian roads safer to ply, while the National Assembly works towards achieving Nigeria’s vision of becoming one of the 20th safest countries, in terms of road transportation and mobility, by 2020 and meeting the UN decade of Action of reducing road crash record by at least half by 2020 .

    “On its part, the House had last year, approved the installation of speed limiting devices on commercial and fleet vehicles and is passionately waiting for the takeoff and the anticipated reduction in the number of carnages on our highways.

    “Road safety is a dynamic field and the National Assembly is poised to providing the institutional framework for safer mobility, roads, vehicles and post-crash care through increased budgetary allocation to the relevant sectors. These include those with the mandate for construction and maintenance of roads as well as increased co-operation between government and non-governmental organization for the proper utilization and overall safety of road users.

    “I am pleased to state that as a legislature, we have put in place deliberate measures to achieve a vision of becoming one of the 20th safest countries, in terms of road transportation and mobility, by 2020 and meeting the UN decade of Action of reducing road crash record by at least half by 2020.”