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Tag: Femi Gbajabiamila

  • Going to prison is honour for politicians – Gbajabiamila

    Going to prison is honour for politicians – Gbajabiamila

    House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has stated jail experience for any politician is a “badge of honour”.

     

    The Speaker, who was represented by Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase, spoke when he led Principal Officers of the House on a visit to Senate Chief Whip Orji Uzor Kalu, who was recently released from the Nigeria Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja.

     

    Wase said the leadership of the House was in Kalu’s home to sympathize with him over his incarceration.

     

    The Deputy Speaker urged the former Abia State governor to take his experience as a life’s lesson and put everything before God.

     

    He said: “We are here to sympathize with you on what happened and your incarceration. As a politician, I want you to take it as one of those things.

     

    “First, we congratulate you and urge you to put everything before God and believe it is part of destiny.

     

    “My Leader, the late Chief Solomon Lar, told me not to fear, as a politician, to go to prison. He told me that going to prison is a badge of honour.

     

    “If you are a good politician, you should be willing to taste prison experience because it will come to you in very many dimensions.

    “That happened to us sometime in the past when we were being chased and humiliated, and he asked us to be resolute and face the issues as they were.

     

    “He reminded us of how he was sentenced to over 90 to 150 years in prison. He told us that as leaders, there is always a judgment that could be passed.

     

    “As our leader, we want you to appreciate what God has done for you; use it for the positive development of our country’s judicial system; use it in the interest of humanity.”

     

     

  • Gbajabiamila inaugurates House committee on COVID-19

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has inaugurated an ad-hoc committee on the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

    Gbajabiamila inaugurated the committee on Tuesday at conference room 231 of the House of Representatives.

    In his remarks, the Speaker said the 18 man committee reflects the intention of the House to engage the executive arm of government in a partnership that serves the best interests of the Nigerian people.

    Read Gbajabiamila’s remarks during the inauguration below:

    Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here this afternoon.

    Nothing defines a nation more than how its leaders and its people rise to the seismic crises that manifest, often without warning, and must be confronted and overcome one way or the other. We now face such a defining crisis. And we too will face the judgment of history. It is in our hands to determine what that judgment will be.

    The 18 man Committee we have come to inaugurate reflects the intention of the House of Representative to engage the executive arm of government in a partnership that serves the best interests of the Nigerian people as we join hands to confront and conquer the most severe challenge of our lives.

    Mr Chairman, honourable members of the Committee, you have a responsibility to ensure the operations of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19, are conducted with a view to international best practice. Your role is to add value by serving as a link between the task force and the National Assembly, and with the Nigerian people whose interests we all serve, and to whom we are all answerable.

    It is also your responsibility to ensure that those of our citizens; doctors, nurses and all the health workers on the frontlines of the fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria receive the full protection they deserve, and the benefits they have so honourably earned. You have the rare opportunity to write your legacy in gold, and I am confident that you will meet that opportunity. I urge you to face this responsibility with a sense of urgency and the utmost integrity, rest assured of my support and the support of the entire House of Representatives.

    On that note, it is my honour to inaugurate this Ad-Hoc Committee on Covid-19 to the glory of God and the edification of the Nigerian people. Mr Chairman, honourable colleagues, I wish you Godspeed in this your assignment. We will support you to the fullest and as best as we can.

    I thank you all once more for being here this afternoon.

    God bless you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • UPDATED: Gbajabiamila makes u-turn, says Vaccine Bill must undergo public hearing

    UPDATED: Gbajabiamila makes u-turn, says Vaccine Bill must undergo public hearing

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday made a u-turn declaring that the Infectious Disease Bill, 2020 will undergo a public hearing.

    The speaker made this disclosure in a statement made available to the press immediately before plenary on Tuesday.

    Gbajabiamila who last week Tuesday during plenary clearly stated that the Bill could be pushed without a public hearing declaring that “a critical situation demands a critical measure”, finally bows to pressures that the Bill must be x-rayed by the public.

    Various bodies, critical stakeholders and the social media had called for annihilation of the Bill as it was widely seen as anti-Nigerian and retrogressive.

    Senator Dino Melaye and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had stabbed the underbelly of the Bill exposing the inherent dangers if it’s finally passed into law.

    He said “the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill will be put forward to a public hearing where stakeholder contributions will be sought to make improvements to the Bill before it is reviewed and debated by the Committee of the whole. It is from the accumulation of these myriad views, suggestions and good faith critiques from within and outside the House that we will arrive at final legislation that meets the present and future needs of our country, and which we all can support.

    The Lagos Lawmaker explained that:”When the House last sat in session on Tuesday the 28th of April 2020, we considered the proposed Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, amongst other things. Since then, there has been a barrage of criticisms and accusations, including allegations that the proposed Bill is a product of inducement by foreign interests. The Bill, which is still a proposal subject to consideration, amendment and improvement has been assailed as a sinister attempt to turn Nigerians into guinea pigs for medical research while taking away their fundamental human rights.

    “Suffice it to say that none of these allegations are true. Unfortunately, we now live in a time when conspiracy theories have gained such currency that genuine endeavours in the public interest can quickly become mischaracterised and misconstrued to raise the spectre of sinister intent and ominous possibility. This House of Representatives will never, take any action that purposes to bring harm to any Nigerian here at home or abroad. As we have thus far shown by our conduct, the resolutions and actions we take in this 9th

    “House of Representatives will always be in the best interests of the Nigerian people who elected us, and no one else.”

    ” In the recent uproar, certain fundamental truths have been lost and are worth remembering. Our current framework for the prevention and management of infectious diseases is obsolete and no longer fit for purpose. The current law severely constrains the ability of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to take proactive action to prevent the entry into Nigeria of Infectious diseases and the management of public health emergencies when they occur. Even now, the government remains vulnerable to claims that some directives already being implemented to manage the present crisis do not have the backing of the law and therefore cannot withstand judicial scrutiny.”

    “I disagree wholeheartedly with the suggestion that this is not the ideal time to seek reforms of the infectious diseases and public health emergency framework in the country. The weaknesses of the present system have already manifested in the inability of the government to hold to proper account those whose refusal to adhere with Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines led to the further spread of the coronavirus in Nigeria. We have had people break out from isolation centres, and others, who, fully aware of their status, chose to travel across State lines on public transport.

    “The number of those currently infected by the coronavirus continues to rise alongside the number of those who have died. There is no timeline for when this disease will pass, and nobody can predict when the next public health crisis will occur, just as nobody predicted the present predicament. It bears restating that we do not have in our country, a healthcare system or for that matter, a national economy that is sufficiently robust to withstand the dire consequences of a sustained infectious disease pandemic. We cannot tie our own hands in the fight against this disease.

    “Whether we choose to accept it or not, the world we live in has changed irretrievably. There is no ‘normal’ to return to as this present crisis has laid bare the fundamental weaknesses in our systems of law and policy and left our nation at risk of devastating outcomes on all sides. Our current task is first to survive and then to set about building a new world. Inevitably, this demands that we should be willing to consider new ideas, explore novel possibilities, rejecting those ancient shibboleths we have long adhered to without benefit.

    “We may sometimes disagree with the how and the why of policy proposals. The parliament of the people is not an echo chamber. It is a marketplace of ideas where only those proposals that gain currency with the majority should carry the day. However, our disagreements must be grounded in a shared recognition that our present travails demand urgent interventions.

    And we must not allow ourselves to ecome victims of the cynical assumption that every policy proposal or response is a result of personal inducement or a grand conspiracy to bring harm to the people on whose behalf we hold political office.”

    The Control of Infectious Diseases Bill will be put forward to a public hearing where stakeholder contributions will be sought to make improvements to the Bill before it is reviewed and debated by the Committee of the whole. It is from the accumulation of these myriad views, suggestions and good faith critiques from within and outside the House that we will arrive at final legislation that meets the present and future needs of our country, and which we all can support in good conscience.

    “The social distancing guidelines under which this House and the whole country operates for the time being means that the usual format of public hearings is not tenable. If a socially distant public hearing becomes workable, we will certainly explore that option. Nonetheless, the House will provide alternative platforms for all Nigerians who desire, to send in written documents that articulate their concerns, make recommendations on amendments and perhaps present other formulations for a new framework for managing infectious diseases in Nigeria. All the contributions we receive will be considered and aggregated to improve the proposed legislation.

  • BREAKING: Gbajabiamila bows to pressure, makes a u-turn on Vaccine Bill

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday made a u-turn declaring that the Infectious Disease Bill, 2020 will undergo a public hearing.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Speaker Gbajabiamila made this disclosure in a statement made available to the press immediately before plenary on Tuesday.

    “The Control of Infectious Diseases Bill will be put forward to a public hearing where stakeholders contributions will be sought to make improvements to the Bill before it is reviewed and debated by the Committee of the whole.

    “It is from the accumulation of these myriad views, suggestions and good faith critiques from within and outside the House that we will arrive at final legislation that meets the present and future needs of our country, and which we all can support,” he said.

    More details to follow shortly…

  • COVID-19: Visiting Chinese medics placed under strict watch – Gbajabiamila

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Thursday said federal lawmakers will place Chinese medical experts who are in Nigeria to join the battle against coronavirus under strict watch.

    The Speaker said the need to monitor the movement of the Chinese medical personnel followed fears expressed by Nigerians about their coming.

    The Speaker spoke at a meeting of the leadership of the National Assembly with members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, led by its Chairman Boss Mustapha.

    Also in the meeting with the PTF chairman are the Senate President Ahmed Lawan; Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege; Deputy Speaker Idris Wase; and other principal officers. Mustapha is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

    Fifteen Chinese medical experts, including 12 doctors, arrived in Nigeria on Wednesday with some medical equipment. They are in the country on the invitation of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), according to Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire. They were immediately sent on a 14-day isolation.

    Gbajabiamila enquired from the minister of Health about the whereabouts of the Chinese medical personnel and if they were subjected to the laid down protocol.

    He said: “This engagement is to see how we can make things better. The Chinese medical personnel, are they coming to upgrade our laboratories, are you accepting them? Who are the technicians that have been running the Kaduna and Kano laboratories before now?

    “Where are the Chinese personnel as we speak? How are you sure that the Chinese company responsible for this arrangement is complying with your directives?”

    Ehanire said the Chinese medical personnel were duly tested and quarantined in a facility belonging to the Chinese company that was responsible for the arrangement.

    The minister added that foreign airlines and embassies were cooperative in solving the challenge of tracing contacts of the indexes of the virus.

    The Speaker also said since the disease is highly infectious, let the authorities test as many Nigerians as possible.

    “My point is, let us begin to test everybody since the disease is highly infectious. We have a problem of contact tracing with people giving wrong addresses. Have you tried tracing them through the Immigration Service and telecommunication companies since there are other details that can be sourced from those windows?”

    The issue of how to disburse the COVID-19 funds being donated by the private sector and other categories of people dominated discussion at the meeting.

    Both Lawan and Gbajabiamila insisted on the need to appropriate the fund before it is spent.

    The Speaker noted that disbursement from the fund without the approval of the National Assembly could become controversial.

    “What we are trying to do is to see if constitutional provision is brought to bear on this issue as stated by Section 80 of the Constitution, that disbursement from the coffers of government can only be in a manner prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.

    “What we can do is to convene as soon as possible and give you, even if it is a one line item for you to appropriate this monies, this is because to do otherwise may become a subject of litigation, and the court can say you have no power to disburse from the money that is coming to the coffers of government,” Gbajabiamila added.

    On the legislation against reneging on donations publicly made, the Speaker said: “Right now, there is no consequence for reneging on promised made on donations because there is no legislation. There must be some form of legislation to that effect, an instrument to compel pledges must be in place.”

    Mustapha, in aligning with the position of the Speaker on the need for the legislation also assured that a comprehensive welfare package is being processed.

    Lawan said: “I believe that we face one critical challenge today in our fight against COVID-19. We have donations made by various organisations, corporate bodies and so on but it is my candid opinion that there is no coordination.

    “The corporate Nigera, as I was told as at yesterday (Wednesday), has gathered N22 billion, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), I was told had $28 million, CBN and the banks, I don’t know how much they have. The National Assembly, the ministers and so many individuals and institutions have also made donations.”

    The donations, the senate president advised, should go to just one common platform as against multiple accounts.

    “I believe we must have a central body and not the PTF, not the corporate groups should receive and manage the funds but based on what the constitution provides for.

    “Where everybody is just collecting and spending, I think it will lead us in a very bad shape. When people contribute their funds, they want to see such funds properly utilised. They want to see efficiency. They want to see transparency. They want to see accountability and of course, probity in what the funds are used for.”

    The PTF chair said his panel will not be directly involved in the collection and disbursement of the cash for transparency and accountability.

    Mustapha said: “The Accountant-General of the Federation has already published the account details for collection through some commercial banks and also provided the modalities for its utilisation.

    “All the main COVID-19 accounts shall be domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). However, all non-cash donations shall be duly received by the PTF, acknowledged, documented and appropriately deployed.”

    He added: “Our nation is at war against a very dangerous, unseen and ubiquitous enemy and all hands must be on deck to successfully prosecute the war.”

    The SGF also urged the National Assembly to develop among others, a legislative framework that will prepare Nigeria for any future pandemic.

  • COVID-19: Lawan, Gbajabiamila tackle Buhari’s minister, fault disbursement of funds

    COVID-19: Lawan, Gbajabiamila tackle Buhari’s minister, fault disbursement of funds

    The leadership of the National Assembly has faulted the way the Social Investment Programme of the Federal Government is being implemented and called for an enabling legislation in line with global best practices.

    The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila made their reservations about the scheme at a meeting held on Tuesday with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq and some top officials of the Ministry.

    The meeting was attended by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase and some other principal officers and members from both Chambers.

    The meeting convened by the leadership of the National Assembly against the backdrop of the ongoing Federal Government intervention initiatives aimed at reducing the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the most vulnerable Nigerians.

    Lawan and Gbajabiamila made it abundantly clear that the Social Investment Programme which was established in 2016 under the Presidency but which is now under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs needed a reform to make it more efficient and effective.

    In his opening remarks, Lawan said the National Assembly is very much interested in the current Intervention initiatives of the ministry particularly with respect to the disbursement aimed at assuaging the plight of the poorest of the poor Nigerians against COVID-19.

    “We feel that we need to work together with you to ensure that there is effectiveness, there is efficiency, that those who are supposed to benefit, benefit directly,” Lawan said.

    The Senate President said the National Assembly is concerned about the conditions and guidelines for the intervention programmes which are specifically directed at the most vulnerable Nigerians.

    “When for example, some conditions are set, that those who will benefit will have to go online, through the internet or BVN and the rest of it.

    “I want to tell you that the majority of those who are supposed to benefit have no access to power. They have no access to Internet. They have no bank account, so no BVN.

    “Infact, many of them don’t even have phones and these are the poorest of the poor. Yet, some of the conditions or guidelines which you set inadvertently leave them out,” Lawan said.

    The Senate President said the poorest of the poor have not been sufficiently captured by the programme.

    “We believe that when we work together, the Executive side of government and the National Assembly as representatives of the people, we will be able to reach much more of these people who are in serious distress even before the Coronavirus.

    “Now with Coronavirus, they need our attention more than ever before. The time has come that we review the ways and manner we use to deliver the services under the SIP to Nigerians.

    “We need to be better in terms of strategy for delivery and definitely, what we have been doing in the past cannot deliver exactly what will solve the challenges of the most ordinary and most vulnerable Nigerians.

    “So we need to put on our thinking cap and work out some strategies on how to identify the poorest persons in Nigeria. I think we have not been able to reach far out there to get them properly captured,” Lawan said.

    Speaking in the same vein, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila told the minister that she is right now in the eye of the storm because all eyes are on her.

    “Your job right now, is probably the most important as we speak, because you are saddled with the responsibility of alleviating ‘poverty’ or the hardship, due to no fault of anyone, being thrust upon Nigerians, and I know that you came into a system, or you met a system that has nothing to do with you, but what we will be asking you to do is for you to change that system.

    “When you walk into a system, no system is 100% perfect. The word reform is something we use all the time, and this is the one time when that word reform must be used in the truest sense of that word.

    “The questions are going to be asked, how do you come about your list, how comprehensive is your distribution list? What are the parameters? What is the geographical spread? So these are tough questions that are going to be asked but I want you to look at them as frank questions that we need to ask.

    “If you really want to define the meaning of representation, if that was being practiced in the real meaning of representation, then we shouldn’t be here. Because all the questions we want to ask, we should already have the answers. We should be providing those answers to the Nigerian people we represent.

    “But if they ask me, as the speaker of the House, or ask the Senate President or any of my colleagues here, we are going to be struggling for answers. If we were really representing, then we will not need to ask because we will have the answers,” Gbajabiamila said.

    The Speaker said the relevant Committees in the House have been complaining bitterly even before the Minister took over the scheme about the inability to access information about the scheme.

    Gbajabiamila said Nigeria’s SIP is similar to the Unemployment Insurance Act in the UK and the Social Security Act in the US.

    “There is a lot of take away from this COVID-19. One of them is the International Best Practices. My point is that these things are backed by law. They are codified by the legislature so that these issues and these questions will not arise,” he said.

    The Speaker urged the minister to talk with the relevant Committees and the National Assembly leadership on the best way to codify the scheme.

    In her response, the minister said the SIP was moved to her ministry for “sustainability and institutionalisation”.

    “I am very pleased to hear that we are going to work together to see that we give a legal backing to this programme because that is the only way to go,” the minister said.

  • COVID-19: Gbajabiamila states position on Chinese doctors

    COVID-19: Gbajabiamila states position on Chinese doctors

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday said that the Chinese medical personnel coming to Nigeria to assist in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic must undergo the necessary checks as provided by Nigeria.

    Gbajabiamila, after a meeting between the leadership of the House and the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire and the Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, said the measure became necessary to take precautions and allay fears expressed by many Nigerians.

    This is even as the two ministers assured that Speaker that the 18 Chinese doctors will not have personal contacts with patients during their stay in the country.

    Present at the meeting were the Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno; the Deputy Leader, Peter Akpatason, and the Deputy Chief Whip, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.

    Gbajabiamila said the meeting was conveyed following widespread complaints that trailed the announcement of the coming of some Chinese medical personnel to assist Nigeria.

    Explaining the essence of the meeting, the Speaker said: “There are a lot of complaints about why we are bringing in Chinese doctors.

    “It is incumbent on us, as lawmakers, to intervene, following the concerns of our constituents to understand the issues and get the right information to them.

    “Our duty is to protect the Nigerian people, and every opportunity to increase our knowledge will not be thrown away.

    “Having listened to you, what we are taking away from this meeting is that Nigeria needs this intervention from the Chinese, but you have to make it mandatory that they observe all the protocols laid down for the disease.

    “As you explained that they won’t have direct contact with Nigerian patients, you have to make sure that they go through our official immigration laws, they have to get work permit waivers because they are coming here to work.

    “Also, they have to be quarantined for 14 days as stipulated by the protocol, and you have to educate Nigerians about this to avoid misconceptions. We have laws and they must be complied with,” the Speaker said.

    Speaking, the Minister of Health, Ehanire, told the House leadership that Nigeria did not officially invite the Chinese team, but that it was an offer arranged by a group of Chinese companies based in Nigeria as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) to Nigeria.

    He said that being a novel disease that every country is trying to understand, Nigeria will benefit more from the gesture because the existing health facilities and personnel in Nigeria to tackle the disease are inadequate.

    On his part, Minister of State for Health, Mamora, emphasized that the Chinese personnel are mainly experts in molecular laboratory testing, where we have only two indigenous experts currently serving seven laboratory centres.

    He said the Chinese doctors are expected to help in setting up molecular laboratories around the country as well as upgrade and reconfigure existing ones in the country.

    He added that the Chinese medical personnel would not have direct contact with Nigerian patients but would only help to reconfigure the laboratories and train Nigerian personnel and experts on the management of the disease and operation of the equipment and upgraded laboratories.

    Saying that the Chinese gesture has no financial implications to Nigeria, Mamora regretted that there was little option than to accept the offer.

    He said: “Case testing is the bulk of work because some people are asymptomatic, so we need faster and rapid test kits and processing. We are doing molecular testing that helps us know the viral load as well.

    “We need to expand our testing labs across the country. Presently, we have two lab scientists in molecular testing, serving seven labs across the country. As we are expanding across the country, we need more people to be trained in molecular testing for faster results”.

    In his response, Speaker Gbajabiamila said the information gap about the Chinese gesture is regrettable and should be addressed immediately.

  • [Leaked Memo] Buhari’s CoS, Abba Kyari raises alarm over lawmakers refusal to be screened at airports says they constitute grave danger to Nigerians

    [Leaked Memo] Buhari’s CoS, Abba Kyari raises alarm over lawmakers refusal to be screened at airports says they constitute grave danger to Nigerians

    Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari has raised alarm over the refusal of some lawmakers who just returned from foreign trips to be screened at the nation’s airports.

    Kyari in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila said the issue was reported to his office by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire.

    The letter dated Saturday, 21st March, 2020 tagged confidential and obtained exclusively by TheNewsGuru.com, was signed by Kyari himself.

    Kyari in clear terms told the Speaker to order all lawmakers who just returned from foreign trips to submit themselves for compulsory screening at any of the NCDC centres nearest to them.

    TNG reports that as at Sunday night, the number of coronavirus cases in the country had increased from 27 to 31 with three new cases in Lagos and Atiku’s son who tested positive.

     

     

     

  • Aide confirms Gbajabiamila’s mum’s N.5 billion birthday celebrations

    Aide confirms Gbajabiamila’s mum’s N.5 billion birthday celebrations

    An aide to Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives has more or less confirmed the multi-million naira 90th birthday celebration of Alhaja Lateefat Olufunke Gbajabiamila, who is the mother of the Speaker, and first Chairman of Surulere Local Government of Lagos State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Lanre Lasisi gave the confirmation on Tuesday and argued that the Speaker would not be depending on public funds to celebrate his mother’s 90th birthday, stressing that the event was strictly for family members and a few childhood friends.

    “The Speaker, his family and a few friends were in Dubai to celebrate the 90th birthday anniversary of Alhaja Lateefat Olufunke Gbajabiamila, the Speaker’s mother. For the records, this event was strictly for family members and a few childhood friends for which no public funds were appropriated or expended,” a statement by Mr Lasisi read in part.

    Recall SaharaReporters had earlier calculated how Speaker Gbajabiamila and his family may be required to spend a whopping half a billion naira to celebrate their mother’s birthday starting from March 2, with the fanfare and lavish celebration to mark the woman’s 90th birthday expected to run until March 10 in the glittering city of Dubai.

    According to the report, already, reservations for guests have been made at the Conrad Hilton Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, where the least room goes for $122 (N43,920) per night. If calculated by 300 guests, the cost of hotel accommodation alone per night will amount to $36,600 (N13,176,000). Calculated for the eight nights that guests will be housed at the hotel, the total comes to $292,800 (N105,408,000).

    Findings by SaharaReporters revealed that the average price for round-trip flights from Nigeria to Dubai is currently $637 (N229,320). When this is calculated for 300 guests, the total expenditure for airfare falls to N68,796,000. This is even as a member of the planning team has hinted that some guests have been booked for special and luxurious accommodation and that top personalities not slotted into private jets have already been booked for special seats on commercial airlines heading to Dubai.

    According to the planning team member Alhaja Gbajabiamila played a pivotal role in Speaker Gbajabiamila’s foray into politics; hence, the Speaker is prepared to celebrate her in a big way especially as she reaches the milestone age of 90, going by the calibre of guests that would be gracing the occasion.

    However, another source privy to planning of the birthday bash has revealed the decision to hold the party in Dubai was strictly on the speaker’s mum insistence, which was difficult to overrule as the Speaker is not the first child.

    According to the source, the Speaker was duty-bound to respect the decision of his siblings who some of them are 12 years older than him, saying “Besides, their mother, contrary to being an outgoing woman, wished for a private and simple birthday ceremony with very close friends and associates”.

    The source further stated that “the woman, who was also the first chairman of Surulere Local Government, believed that if it was held in Lagos, the venue would be filled to the brim and raises fear or crowd control. Being a politician, she has clout and she remained relevant till the present moment in the Lagos political scene.

    “Though being the nation number 4 man, the Speaker was not able to sway it as he had one vote at the family meetings to organise the party and for weeks he consulted his close friends on how to handle it. As a matter of fact, it was alleged that he, at some point, tried to seek mama consent to be away from the party.

    According to a report, no member of the National Assembly was invited to the family prayers and party held last Friday at the Eagle Club Hon Gbajabiamila till the last minute and kept it as low key as possible.

    The source also added that Gbajabiamila had to appeal to Gov Abiodun who wanted to grace the occasion ‘to please stay away’ because he did not want the frenzy as it also came as a shock to many that Hon Jimi Benson, a very close friend, was not even on the trip neither were NASS members.

    “The story he is spending to millions is crazy and work of political enemies. Do you even know it is cheaper to do a party in Dubai than in Lagos? The guests are limited and you only pay for venue, food and drinks, unlike the carnival that will have happened in Lagos. Mr Speaker is very conscious of the mood of the nation now and won’t do anything to upset it. So count him out of any jamboree,” a source stated.

  • 400 exotic cars: Reps to incur additional N4.3bn cost after rejecting Innoson jeeps

    400 exotic cars: Reps to incur additional N4.3bn cost after rejecting Innoson jeeps

    The House of Representatives is expected to spend an extra N4.3 billion for clearing its 400 exotic cars after rejecting Innoson jeeps locally assembled here in Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) recalls the House of Reps had during an executive session held on February 5 reportedly passed a resolution for the purchase of 400 Toyota Camry 2020 cars as official vehicles for members.

    Each of the cars will cost $35,130, which is equivalent of ₦12,541,410 naira only, meaning that the House will spend a whooping N5 billion to purchase the 2020 Toyota Camry for the members.

    Meanwhile, TNG analysis of breakdown of the clearing cost of the N5 billion cars shows that the House will spend an extra N4.3 billion to purchase the cars, making the total cost of purchasing the 400 exotic cars running over N9 billion.

    The House will spend N75 million on the cars paying 1.5 percent of N5 billion on insurance. Another N75 million, being 1.5 percent of N5 billion will go down the drain for FOB.

    Also, surface duty will gulp N250 million at the rate of 5 percent of N5 billion, while ETLS Levy will take N25 million at the rate of 0.5 percent.

    Paying 7.5 percent value added tax (VAT) on 400 cars means another N375 million will follow, and N3.5 billion will go, as well, for import duty at the rate of 70 percent of N5 billion.

    Adding the initial cost of the vehicles, which was put at N5 billion to the cost of clearing the 400 cars, means that the House will spend over N9 billion to have the cars delivered.

    Recall that Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 192 concerned Nigerians have dragged the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila and all members of the House of Representatives to court over purchase of the vehicles.

    In the lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP and other Nigerians are asking the court to restrain the House from spending an estimated N5.04 billion to buy 400 exotic cars for principal officers and members.