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Tag: Idris Wase

  • Reps vow to ensure equitable FG employment

    Reps vow to ensure equitable FG employment

    Rep. Idris Wase, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character, has pledged to ensure that government agencies’ composition mirrored the diversity of Nigeria.

    Wase made this promise during the inaugural meeting of the Committee held in Abuja.

    In a resolute commitment to uphold the principles of federal character and national unity, Wase emphasised the committee’s unwavering dedication to oversee the equitable distribution of employment opportunities across the nation.

    He highlighted the committee’s strengthened position, backed by sound legislative support, enabling them to carry out their core mission effectively.

    He insisted that the FCC should appear before the committee on Oct. 17 to report on their efforts to ensure fair employment distribution.

    Quoting Section 14(3) of the Constitution, Wase stated: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria.

    “This also include the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states.”

    He frowned at a few ethnic or other sectional groups dominance in government or in any of its agencies.

    “Our committee’s primary focus is to extend beyond the national level. This is where our immediate work begins,” Wase stressed.

    He said FCC role in monitoring compliance with the aforementioned constitutional provisions has not been as robust as it should be, according to Section 14(4).

    This, according to him, stated that the composition of State and Local Governments or any of their agencies should recognise diversity and promote a sense of belonging.

    The chairman added that it should also promote loyalty among all the people within their jurisdictions.

    Wase stressed the importance of the FCC role in overseeing how government business and employment are conducted.

    He called on all state officers to diligently perform this mandate, assuring that the committee would exercise effective and efficient oversight.

    He also highlighted the composition of the FCC, which includes a chairman and a representative from each state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,

    This, he explained, should all be appointed by the President and subject to Senate confirmation.

    Wase urged his colleagues to be proactive and diligent in carrying out their duties.

    He said the committee is well-equipped and capable of fulfilling its constitutional obligations, and underscored the pressing need for unwavering dedication to their mission.

    “There is no time for us to rest,” he declared, “as we embarked on this crucial work,” he said.

  • HOR: Gbajabiamila, deputy clash over time during plenary

    HOR: Gbajabiamila, deputy clash over time during plenary

    Femi Gbajabiamila, the speaker of the House  of Representatives, and his deputy, Idris Wase clashed over sitting of House on Wednesday.

    Gbajabiamila was angered by Wase’s confrontation challenging his order on the Green Chamber on Wednesday afternoon.

    Mr Gbajabiamila on Wednesday directed that the agenda on the Order Paper be few to allow him attend the commissioning of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies.

    He stated that Thursday’s session must not exceed 2 p.m. to allow him to attend the event.

    “Chairman Business and Rules, let’s make the order paper light for tomorrow because we have this — it is very important — the permanent site of the NILDS. It is at 2:30. So it will be good we close by 2pm,” he said.

    But his deputy challenged his decision, noting that the House cannot afford to be waiting time on commission while the business of the House is left undone.

    “We have lost quite a number of periods of time. For the commissioning of projects for God’s sake, why do we have to shelve a lot of activities that we have just to go and witness the commissioning of a project of NILDS? I want to beg sir that we should do our functions,” he said.

    Mr Gbajabiamila was left fuming as he noted that no deputy speaker has ever challenged the speaker.

    “Mr deputy speaker, this is the first time in history. I have been in this house for many years, perhaps even longer than anybody here. This is the first time in history that a deputy speaker will challenge what the speaker is saying,” he said.

    This fight may not be unconnected with the speculation that Mr Wase is leading other aggrieved members to impeach Gbajabiamila.

    It would be recalled that Mr Gbajabiamila is backing Tajudeen Abbas for the speaker of the House

  • 10th NASS: Deputy speaker, Wase declares interest in speakership position

    10th NASS: Deputy speaker, Wase declares interest in speakership position

    The House of Representatives, deputy speaker, Idris Wase has shown interest in the speakership position of the green chamber.

    Wase made his interest known for the speakership position at an event in Abuja on Friday.

    “Respected colleagues, I appreciate every one of you present and by the grace of God, if you give me your mandate, we shall do you proud. We shall create a vibrant legislature that will stand the test of time among nations of nations,” he told the gathering.

    He also reeled out his experience to lead the House of Representatives if elected.

    The lawmaker representing Wase Federal Constituency said on several occasions, he had “sacrificed” for the National Assembly and the country by dropping his leadership ambitions.

    At the ceremony which was attended by his supporters and some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the lawmaker urged Nigerians to unite and work together for the betterment of the country.

    His declaration is coming days after the APC zoned the National Assembly leadership posts, picking Godswill Akpabio and Tajudeen Abbas as Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker respectively.

    While the development has not gone down well with some members of the APC and lawmakers, Mr. Wase is also re-echoing their thoughts.

    While also appearing on Politics Today, on Channels TV, the Plateau lawmaker said that he zoning arrangement was done without the consent of many and  “thorough discussions” and is not in line with the Constitution of the country which preaches equity.

     

  • BREAKING: Reps approve N599 billion as NCC budget for 2023

    BREAKING: Reps approve N599 billion as NCC budget for 2023

    The House of Representatives has approved N599.080 billion as the budget of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for 2023.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the approval came following the consideration of the report on the NCC budget by the Committee of Supply, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase.

    The key provisions of the budget were N86.7 billion for Recurrent Expenditure; N5.2 billion for Capital Expenditure; and the sum of N35.089 billion for Special Projects.

    The sum of N16 billion was approved to be transferred to the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF); another N416.013 billion was for transfer to the Federal Government of Nigeria; and the sum of N16 billion for the Budget of the USPF).

    TNG reports that the third reading of the money bill was slated for another legislative day.

  • ECOWAS denies Nigeria’s allegation of lopsided recruitment

    ECOWAS denies Nigeria’s allegation of lopsided recruitment

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has dismissed allegation of recruitment bias earlier made by some Nigerian lawmakers, insisting the union’s staffing process was competitive.

    Nigeria had threatened to withdraw its membership from ECOWAS over what it described as lopsided staff recruitments.

    Vice Chairman of the Parliament’s Recruitment Committee Edwin Snowe, said during a media chat in Abuja on Sunday that the allegation was a “misrepresentation” of the real issues.

    “Recruitment into the ECOWAS institutions is very competitive and cannot short-change any country let alone Nigeria that has made invaluable contributions to the development of the community.

    “There was no resolution reached at the plenary to suspend recruitment into the P5 positions as is being insinuated by Nigerian legislators. Nigerians are adequately represented in ECOWAS Parliament and other institutions of the community,” Snowe insisted.

    Last Friday, Nigeria’s representatives at the parliament said following several reports of lop-sidedness in employment, lawmakers had passed a resolution during its 2022 First Ordinary Session held from 9 June to July 3, to suspend all recruitments to allow for an audit of the exercise.

    The Nigerian representatives alleged that some principal officers were recruiting their relatives and cronies to fill existing vacancies without recourse to due process.

    Leader of the Nigerian delegation and the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament Ahmed Idris Wase, said it had become imperative that Nigeria reviews its relevance and membership of the bloc.

    “If you are in a system, and you are not getting the right results where you are investing your money, it pays best to walk out of the union.

    “There are few countries that want to run ECOWAS like a cabal but we will not tolerate that. “Yes, we will pull out if we don’t get the desired result from this,” Wase was quoted as saying.

    In July this year, the Nigerian Permanent Representative to ECOWAS Musa Nuhu, wrote to the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament Sidie Mohamed Tunis, to complain about nepotistic employment scandal at the ECOWAS.

    Nigeria currently houses the headquarters of ECOWAS and remains a major financial contributor to the regional bloc.

  • FLASH: Reps probe NNPC’s JV, production sharing contracts in last 32 years

    FLASH: Reps probe NNPC’s JV, production sharing contracts in last 32 years

    Just a day after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation transformed into the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the House of Representatives has begun a major probe into its Joint Venture (JV) operations and Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs), beginning from 1990 till date.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the probe covers a period of 32 years, the objective of which, according to the House, is to ascertain “whether or not the capital expenditure, operations, financials and related frameworks are within the ambit of the law”.

    An ad-hoc committee will execute the assignment within eight weeks as approved by the resolution of the House passed during plenary in Abuja on Thursday. The session was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase in the absence of the Speaker, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila.

    Six lawmakers moved the motion that led to the House resolution. They were Rep. Sergius Ogun, Rep. Sada Soli Jibiya, Rep. Isiaka Ibrahim Oyekunle, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, Rep. Ado Sani Kiri and Rep. Mark Gbillah.

    The motion reads, “The House: notes that section 88 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 empowers the National Assembly to conduct investigations into the activities of any authority executing or administering laws made by the National Assembly;

    “Also notes that Escravos Gas-to-Liquid (EGTL) Project is a Joint Venture (JV) undertaking by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron Nigeria Limited for the construction of a 34,000 Barrels Per Day (BPD) of Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) Plant at Escravos, Delta State;

    “Further notes that a total of $1.294 billion was earmarked for the EGTL project in 2001 and by the time the contract was awarded in 2005, the final approved cost rose to $2.941 billion, which was further increased to $8.6 billion as at 31st December 2011, and upon completion in 2014, the total project cost was over $10 billion;

    “Concerned that the ETGL and its JV projects are executed at such huge costs when similar projects in other jurisdictions like Qatar, which have the same capacity, technology, Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractors and even operators cost less than $1.5 billion;

    “Also concerned that although EGTL projects are governed by the Heads of Agreement (HOA), Carry Agreement (CA) and the Venture Agreement (VA) in line with various legal regimes such as Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), Petroleum Profit Tax Act (PPTA), Companies Income Tax Act (CITA) in principle, there is a breach of the principles involved;

    “Worried that the Bonga field (OML 118), which is owned by the NNPC but contracted to SNEPCO (55%), ExxonMobil (20%), Agip exploration (12.5%), and Total (12.5%) under the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) now seems to be far from being a PSC arrangement as it runs foul to the relevant financial operational laws;

    “Also worried that the Offshore Gas Gathering System (OGGS) which was designed to gather gas from various upstream projects in the Niger Delta region under a PSC and JV arrangement with companies such as SNEPCO, SPDC, NLNG has now become mired in some operational misunderstandings;

    “Disturbed that in the brewing misunderstanding, SPDC and SNEPCO allegedly went into certain gas sales and sharing arrangements without the prior knowledge and/or consent of the Federal Government via the NNPC, which has resulted in certain shortfalls in revenue into the Federation Accounts.”

  • Reps accept petition by Diaspora Tiv indigenes, earlier rejected by Gbajabiamila’s Deputy

    Reps accept petition by Diaspora Tiv indigenes, earlier rejected by Gbajabiamila’s Deputy

    A petition by a group of Tiv indigenes from Benue State in the diaspora which generated controversy last week has been accepted by the House of Representatives.

    The lawmakers received the petition during Tuesday’s plenary at the lower chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    It was filed by a group – Mzough U Tiv Amerika (MUTA) on the insecurity in Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba States.

    A member of the House representing Gwer East/ Gwer West Constituency of Benue, Mark Gbillah, presented the petition at the plenary presided by the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila.

    He explained that he was submitting the petition on behalf of the group because Tiv indigenes of the affected states had been sacked from their ancestral lands.

    “Without misunderstanding, please go ahead and lay your petition and it will be given proper and due attention,” Gbajabiamila told the lawmaker before he presented the petition.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Gbillah brought the petition back to the house about two weeks after the move was rejected by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase.

    Wase, who presided over the plenary held on March 11 in the absence of the speaker, had declared that Nigerians in the diaspora have no right to send petitions to the House on issues happening in Nigeria.

    He has, however, denied his action despite compelling video evidence.

    Meanwhile, the lawmakers had since tendered apology for rejecting the petition.

    The recent attack on Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, at his farm also formed part of issues deliberated during Tuesday’s plenary.

    Condemning the incident, the lawmakers described the attack on the governor as an indication of anarchy and full-scale lawlessness in the country.

    They, however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for promptly ordering an investigation into the incident and asked the security agencies to ensure that those involved were brought to justice, to serve as a deterrent to others.

  • House of Reps tenders apology for rejecting Tiv’s petition

    House of Reps tenders apology for rejecting Tiv’s petition

    The House of Representatives has tendered an apology for rejecting a petition by a Tiv group on the floor of the House on March 10.

    Rep. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (APC-Oluyole), the Chairperson of the Reps Committee on Diaspora tendered the apology on Wednesday.

    She assured that it was working on the petition by the Tiv group against the Federal Government over alleged injustice.

    In a statement, media aide to Akande-Sadipe, Mr Olusada Olamilekan stated that the committee had begun investigation on the content of the petition.

    “Your numerous petitions and messages have been well received by me and compiled.

    “The petition is being investigated by the leadership of the House and Diaspora Committee.

    “This issue is of utmost importance to the House and it will be resolved in a matter of days,” she said.

    She apologised for alleged rejection of the group’s petition on the floor of the House on March 10.

    Earlier, even though there is video evidence, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Ahmed Wase had denied rejecting the petition.

    Rather, he defended his refusal to allow Rep. Mark Gbillah to submit the petition by the Mutual Union of Tiv in America (MUTA).

    In a statement on Monday, Wase said his refusal was based on legal identity and on the locus of the petitioner and not on whether Nigerians in diaspora have a right to petition the House or not.

    In the petition, MUTA had raised concerns over the plight of the Tiv people whose ancestral lands had been taken over by killer herdsmen and have been in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps for years.

    But the deputy speaker insisted that the petitioners must follow laid down rules and procedures in presenting the petition to the House.

    “As a rule, every petition must be presented by a sponsor on behalf of an identifiable petitioner who can either be an individual/groups of individuals or registered corporate entity.

    “In the current incident, the sponsor of the petition read the petitioners as ‘Association of Tivs Resident in the United States.

    “For any experienced parliamentarian, this very coinage raises a lot of technical questions; are the petitioners represented here in Nigeria via a Nigerian Office or a Legal Practitioner or are they totally absent from the scene?

    “Are they registered as an Association with the Corporate Affairs Commission? If they are absent and a hearing were to be organized, who would the members of the Committee on Public Petition be addressing, questioning or interrogating?

    “Would the petitioners be able to give first hand witness testimony as to the issues raised in their petition? These and other technical complications were what I tried to interrogate, to which sufficient answers were not provided thus stalling the presentation of the petition,” he said.

    Wase said that he did nothing but brought to bear his experience in guiding the sponsor of the petition on the proper procedure to adopt in presenting the said petition.

    The deputy speaker explained that the House has over the years entertained petitions from Nigerians in diaspora.

    “However, those petitions were properly presented before the House without any ambiguity as to the identity of the petitioners or as to their locus and availability to speak to the issues raised in such petitions,” he said.

    The deputy speaker reiterated the commitment of the 9th House of Representatives to promote freedom of speech and associations.

    According to him, the House will continue to provide platforms for all Nigerians, irrespective of their religion, tribe, or residence.

    Wase noted that media report of the matter had been doctored, slanted and bent to give political and ethnic coloration to an event that was otherwise strictly based on Rules of Parliamentary Procedures.

    “The House of Representatives belongs to all Nigerians and can be accessed by all Nigerians wherever they may reside,” Wase said in the statement.

  • Trending video: Watch moment Deputy Speaker Wase turned pry school headmaster scolding colleague

    Trending video: Watch moment Deputy Speaker Wase turned pry school headmaster scolding colleague

    …annihilation of PDP Reps

    Apparently the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Idris Wase forgot that he was presiding courtesy of the fact that he is first and foremost a first among equals in a trending video where he reduced his colleague, Hon Mark Gbillah to a primary school pupil.

    In the video clip, Gbillah, PDP – Benue, had brought up a petition from his Tiv constituents in the diaspora that their family members at home have been dislodged from their ancestral homes and nothing is being done.

    Wase turned red and almost confused Gbillah as he repeatedly explained that there is a committee on diaspora that could handle such matters.

    But the Deputy Speaker who had made up his mind continued with his vituperations.

    Journalists who covered what has been described as a show of shame by the principal officer, said no presiding officer has ever spoken to a fellow lawmaker like that, not even young Dimeji Bankole of the sixth Assembly.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that has remained a toothless opposition too has not helped matters as there is an alleged plot to annihilate the PDP.

    WATCH VIDEO BELOW:

     

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