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Tag: Lawmakers

  • Culture minister, five lawmakers infected with coronavirus

    Culture minister, five lawmakers infected with coronavirus

    France’s culture minister has become the latest politician to be infected by the coronavirus, a government colleague said on Monday, after several lawmakers came down with the COVID-19 illness.

    Franck Riester is doing well and resting at home, health minister Olivier Veran said on BFM Television.

    Five French parliamentarians have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, according to media reports on Monday, along with a worker in the National Assembly cafeteria where some or all of the lawmakers may have picked it up.

    Riester may have caught the virus from one of the five parliamentarians, culture ministry sources said. The stricken minister last met President Emmanuel Macron several days ago, they added.

    The chief executive of state-controlled Paris airport operator ADP (ADP.PA), Augustin de Romanet, has also tested positive for the virus and is working from home, a spokesman said earlier.

    No other government officials are known to have caught the coronavirus, health minister Veran said, adding that cabinet colleagues had been observing the recommendations they have issued to the public.

    “Nobody has been shaking hands in cabinet meetings for the last two weeks,” he said.

  • Lagos Assembly suspends two lawmakers

    Lagos Assembly suspends two lawmakers

    The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday suspended two of its members for gross misconduct and activities that undermines the sanctity of the house.

    The officers suspended are Hon. Moshood Oshun representing Lagos Mainland 2 and Hon. Adewale Raheem representing Ibeju Lekki 2

    The Speaker, Rt.Hon.Mudashiru Obasa while announcing the suspension noted that discipline is key for the protection of the sanctity of the house against insubordination.

    Obasa invoked house rules 68,74,4a,b,2 and 3 to enforce the suspension.

  • Kano lawmakers fight dirty over probe of Emir Sanusi

    Kano lawmakers fight dirty over probe of Emir Sanusi

    It was a free-for-all fight on Monday when the Deputy Speaker and chairman of the Public Complaints and Petition Committee, Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari raised observation over the ongoing investigation of petitions of alleged violation of the culture, tradition and religious values of the people of Kano by Emir Muhammad Sanusi 11.

    Trouble broke out when Chidari in his attempt to make his observation known to members, he instantly opposed by members identified as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.

    In the process, a heated debate ensued which resulted into a physical combat, as the opposition members struggled to take control of the mace.

    In the process, the mace was instantly rescued by security men and the Sergeant of Arm attached to the Assembly.

    According to reports that the fisticuff lasted for about 25 minutes before the House restored back to normalcy and went for a 30 minutes break.

    As at the time of filling in this report, security has been beefed up at the Assembly to forestall any eventuality.

  • Coronavirus: Lawmakers demand closure of NASS for two weeks, gives reasons

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved that the National Assembly should suspend plenary for two weeks to enable the management install facilities to screen and detect coronavirus.

    This was sequel to the unanimous adoption of an amendment moved by the Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu.

    Elumelu moved the amendment while members were debating a motion of Urgent Matters of Public Importance on tackling coronavirus by Rep. Josiah Idem (PDP-Akwa-Ibom).

    Amending the motion, Elumelu said that there were no facilities to check people entering the National Assembly Complex to detect coronavirus.

    He said that anybody infected could walk into the premises, shake hands with people and spread the virus.

    “I urge the leadership of the National Assembly to suspend plenary for two weeks to allow management to sanitise and put facilities in place to detect the virus.

    “Let the Committee on Health and other relevant committees ensure compliance,” he said.

    Moving the motion earlier, Idem said that there was need for the leadership of the assembly to constitute a committee to interface with government to eliminate the virus.

    He called for the release of more emergency funds to support the Federal Minister of Health to eliminate the novel virus.

    The lawmaker stressed the need to intensify surveillance at all national borders and called for the immediate activation of centres designated for the treatment.

    Idem said that risk communication should be intensified and laboratory services be expanded recommending that two isolation centers should be cited in each geo political zones.

    Rep. Inombeck-Awaji Abiante (PDP-Rivers) said that a motion to bring back Nigerians stranded in China was thrown out by the House for fear of importing the virus.

    He said that though the ministry of health assured the public that the country was ready to contain the virus, it had found its way into the country.

    The lawmaker said that it showed that government was not really prepared for the virus as Nigerians were made to believe.

    Rep. Nasir Alliyu (APC-Kano) said that there were only three isolation facilities so far in the country.

    According to him, they are located in Abuja, Lagos and Edo and that the one in Abuja, which has a capacity of less than 30 persons, has not been completed.

    The lawmaker said that with a population of about 200 million, the facilities were grossly inadequate to contain the virus

    “God forbid if we have to quarantine 10,000 persons, what do we do? there is need to get really prepared,” he said.

    Rep. Ibrahim Isiaka (APC-Ogun) said that the place where the infected Italian visited in Ogun was in his constituency after traveling for several kilometres from Lagos.

    He said that what was most disappointing was the fact that he was not detected at entry port.

    The house, therefore, recommended that government should convene an emergency national health conference for all health workers to come together to address the spread of the virus.

    Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase (APC-Plateau) then mandated all relevant committees of the House to ensure compliance.

  • Reps lament over FG’s poor handling of Coronavirus, suspend plenary for two weeks

    Reps lament over FG’s poor handling of Coronavirus, suspend plenary for two weeks

    The house of representatives has resolved to suspend plenary sessions for two weeks to give room for adequate preparation against coronavirus.

    The two-week suspension is also to enable the federal lawmakers to be tested for the virus, the house said on Tuesday.

    It did not immediately say when the suspension will take effect.

    The resolution followed a motion on ‘emergency response to tackle coronavirus’ introduced during the plenary session by Josiah Edem from Akwa Ibom state.

    During the debate on the motion, most of the lawmakers lamented that there is no measure to adequately prepare the national assembly in the event of the infection of staff or any of the visitors.

    Ndudi Elumelu, minority leader, then moved for an amendment that the house should suspend its activities to enable the management put in adequate measures to avoid a spread of the virus.

    He said the Italian who imported the virus into the country travelled to Ogun state and expressed fears the infection could easily spread to other parts of the country including to the National Assembly Complex.

    “This house should suspend plenary for two weeks for adequate handling of this matter and to allow management to put measures so that all of us can be be tested,” he said.

    “This is a very serious matter… otherwise you don’t know who you are shaking.”

    Isiaka Ibrahim from Ogun said the federal government “needs to do more to be pro-active”.

    “The facilities are not here presently,” he said, adding: “There are only two control centres, one in Lagos and one in Abuja. Nigeria is standing at zero as far as this is concerned.

    “This is a wake up call for all of us. We are not talking about coronavirus. What is the case after coronavirus?”

    Awaji-Inombek Abiante from Rivers state said there is nothing to check the spread of the virus to the National Assembly Complex.

    “We brought down a motion to bring down our brothers and sisters in Wuhan for fear that we don’t have the capacity to handle it. Now, our fears have caught up with us,” he said.

    “We saw where ministers were praising themselves that Nigeria was ready for the coronavirus. We should be more pro-active. Here, there is nothing to check any man who is symptomatic.

    “We don’t have anything at all. Are we ready for what is coming to us? The answer is no. Let us make contributions that will indeed better the future of this country and that of Nigerians.”

    Nasiru Ali from Kano state said it is a sad thing that Nigeria has only three isolation centres despite being Africa’s most populous country.

    Nigeria currently has only one case of the disease in Lagos — an Italian who was diagnosed of the infection last week.

  • Just in: Secondus, Obi, PDP lawmakers protest at US, UK embassies

    Just in: Secondus, Obi, PDP lawmakers protest at US, UK embassies

    The leadership and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday protested at the embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom in Abuja.

    The National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, said their presence was to present protest papers to the embassies.

    He said that President Muhammadu Buhari, has lost control of the security of the nation and so should resign.

    He also alleged that the judiciary and the NASS have been caged.

    He lamented the January 14 Supreme Court judgement which sacked Chief Emeka Ihedioha as the Governor of Imo State, adding that it should be reviewed.

  • Imo: PDP reacts to mass defection of lawmakers to APC

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared vacant, the seats of the eight members of the Imo State House of Assembly who on Tuesday, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    At a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the defectors cannot continue to hold on to the mandates given to them on the platform of the PDP.

    The assembly members, including the Speaker, had announced their defection on the floor of the House on Tuesday, a development the PDP said was ostensibly for selfish gains.

    The party described the actions of the lawmakers as unpatriotic and an unpardonable betrayal of the people of their respective constituencies who chose and identified with the ideal and visions of the PDP as the platform for their representation at the state assembly.

    “The defectors have indeed shown absolute lack of character, failure of leadership capacity in moments of challenges and absence of faith to stand with the people in their most trying moment, but are easily bought by personal pecuniary and political interests.

    “These defectors are fully aware of the grave implication of their actions to the effect that by their defection to the APC, they have automatically lost their seats and membership of the Imo state House of Assembly as they can only hold such position on the mandate of the party on which they were elected -the PDP.

    “It is settled under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), that a legislator who defects from a party upon which he was elected a member of a legislative house, automatically loses his or her membership of that house as the seat belongs to the political party upon which platform the election was won and not the individual”, Ologbondiyan said.

    The spokesman further said that the vacation of seat, as a direct consequence of defecting to another political party other than the party upon which one was elected to occupy a seat in the legislature, was clear and unambiguous under Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    Continuing, Ologbondiyan said, “For the avoidance of doubt, section 109 (1)(g) provides that “a member of the House of Assembly SHALL VACATE his seat in the House if …(g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected:

    “The Constitution went further to state ‘provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.

    “Consequent upon the above constitutional provisions, these defectors have vacated their seats, they no longer have a place in the state assembly, as there is no division or merger of any kind in the PDP at any level whatsoever”.

    The party spokesman said the PDP is left with no other option than to request the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence the processes for the conduct of fresh elections into the respective state constituencies where the legislators have vacated their seats, in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

    The party called on its members and supporters in Imo state to remain calm, as the national leadership proceeds with arrangements ahead of fresh elections in the affected constituencies.

    The PDP assured the people of Imo state that processes were already on towards achieving a judicial review and reversal of the “defective judgment” of the Supreme Court, on the Imo state governorship election.

  • Adeboye demands 50% cut in governors’, lawmakers’ salary

    Adeboye demands 50% cut in governors’, lawmakers’ salary

    General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has urged 36 governors and the Houses of Assemblies to reduce their salary and emoluments by 50 per cent.

    He said this would ensure that there are sufficient funds to tackle the challenges facing education, health and other critical sectors in the country.

    Adeboye spoke on Sunday during the special prayer and thanksgiving service for the New Year at RCCG headquarters in Ebutte-Metta, Lagos.

    The event, tagged: Unbeatable Champions, was attended by thousands of Christians from across the country.

    The eminent cleric noted that the nation’s budget for health, education and infrastructure, compared to those of advanced countries, shows that Nigeria has a long way to in its quest for development.

    Adeboye, who spoke through the Assistant General Overseer, Administration and Personnel, Pastor Johnson Odesola, regretted that Nigeria’s budgets mostly end up in private pockets in the guise of salaries and emolument because priority is not given to critical sectors of the economy.

    The cleric said this should worry Nigerians.

    He urged the Federal Government to emulate the developed countries by increasing budget for education, health and infrastructure.

    Adeboye noted that the N30,000 minimum wage for civil servants has become a subject of hot debate as some governors are not willing to pay it.

    He expressed worry that the salary of the governors and their cronies remain intact while timely payment of the salary of civil servants suffers.

  • Edo Assembly Crisis: We are not aware of sacking of 14 lawmakers – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, said it has not been officially communicated by the Edo State House of Assembly over the declaration of the seats of 14 lawmakers vacant.

    The Commission also stated that it cannot conduct fresh elections in the 14 constituencies until it receives a formal letter from the Speaker or Clerk of the Edo State House of Assembly.

    It will be recalled that the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Francis Okiye, last Wednesday, declared the seats of 14 Lawmakers vacant.

    Twelve of them were those members-elect that were yet to present themselves for inauguration, while two the two others were lawmakers that absconded after inauguration.

    INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, told The Nation that the Commission does not rely or act based on newspaper publications.

    According to him, “the Commission does not act based on newspaper reports, we rely on communication from the House. For instance, if a member dies we don’t act until we are notified, if a member does not attend plenary as required by law and his seat is declared vacant, we can’t do anything until we are officially notified.

    “In this instance we can only act based on report from Edo State House of Assembly for now we are not aware, we have not been officially communicated”.

  • [820 buses] Again! Ambode, ex-commissioners snub fresh invitation by Lagos assembly

    Immediate past governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Tuesday failed again to appear before the State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee probing the activities of the last administration, especially the purchase of the 820 buses for its mass transit programme.

    The 16-man committee is chaired by Hon. Fatai Mojeed.

    Also absent was the immediate past commissioner for finance, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade, and his special duties counterpart, Oladejo Seye.

    They both wrote the committee to be excused because they were not in the country.

    The next option, according to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, when the matter came up at the plenary yesterday, is to invite Ambode publicly through newspaper publications.

    He, however, said if the former governor still failed to appear, then the House would be left with no other option than to compel him to do so by issuing a warrant of arrest on him.

    A former commissioner for economic planning and budget, Mr. Olusegun Banjo, revealed that the purchase of the 820 buses by Ambode “was not routed through my ministry.”

    Banjo, who stated that he became commissioner in February 2018, said he did follow the system he met on ground, which, according to him, was responsible for shady transactions on the buses that were procured.

    When the Accountant-General of the State, Mrs. Shukrat Umar, was asked if the budget for the purchase of the buses was approved by the State Executive Council, she said: “The State Treasury Office acted on Exco’s approval. The buses were in line with Exco’s approval. I would not know whether the Paris Refund Club was discussed or not.”

    The Imota rice mill, Light-Up Lagos project and procurement of LASEMA Rapid Response equipment and engagement of the consultants, were all done under shady circumstances as revealed by the heads of the MDA’s, who were questioned by the committee members.

    All the projects, including the Oshodi Interchange and others, it was also discovered, were never captured in the state’s budget as confirmed by the former commissioners for agriculture and energy, Toyin Suarau and Wale Oluwo, respectively.

    But Ambode defied laid down constitutional provisions and the House. He went ahead to award contracts without open bidding and also purchased equipment, as well, the committee members noted.