TheNewsGuru

Tag: Lawmakers

  • Senate President reveals salaries, running costs of lawmakers; says NASS grossly underfunded in last four years

    Senate President reveals salaries, running costs of lawmakers; says NASS grossly underfunded in last four years

    The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, says the National Assembly will pass the proposed 2022 budget before the end of the legislative week.

    He disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while giving a lecture at the maiden Distinguished Parliamentarians Lecture Series organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

    Lawan said the current National Assembly has made it a practice for the budget to be presented and passed before the end of December yearly, to ensure that its implementation commences in January.

    Delivering a lecture titled ‘The Legislature, Legislative Mandate and the Public – The Reality and The Public Perception’, he used the opportunity to clear the air around what he described as misconceptions about the allowances of members of the National Assembly.

    According to the lawmaker, the percentage of the National Assembly budget in the federal budget ranged between 1.44 per cent in 2019 to 0.82 per cent in 2021.

    For him, the National Assembly has been grossly underfunded in the last four years. He revealed that the total salary of a member of the Senate was about N1.5 million and that of the House of Representatives was about N1.3 million.

    The lawmaker added that the average office running cost for a senator was about N13 million while that of a member of the House of Representatives was N8 million.

    Other areas where he gave clarifications included perception of corruption, constituency projects, purchase of operational vehicles for lawmakers, and the insinuations that the legislature was a rubber stamp.

  • Trouble for President Akufo-Addo as parliament rejects 2022 Budget proposal, lawmakers stage walkout

    Trouble for President Akufo-Addo as parliament rejects 2022 Budget proposal, lawmakers stage walkout

    Ghana’s parliament on Friday rejected the government’s 2022 budget proposal due to concerns over an electronic banking levy.

    It was the first time the national budget has been rejected since 1981 in the West African country.

    Ghana’s parliament is split between the two main parties following an election a year ago, increasing the risk of gridlock as the country struggles to rebound from the impact of the global pandemic and a heavy debt burden.

    Friday’s setback came after the government introduced a proposed new levy on electronic bank transactions, including popular mobile phone money apps.

    Ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmakers walked out after accusing the house speaker of bias because he said the finance minister should not be present during the vote.

    The opposition MPs then voted down the proposal.

    “The 2022 budget has been rejected by Parliament,” opposition lawmaker Sam George wrote in a Tweet. “We as a minority took a stand with the people of Ghana to reject a budget that had the obnoxious E-Levy, increased government fees, and charges. Victory for Ghana.”

    In January, soldiers were forced to enter Ghana’s parliament to break up fights between rival lawmakers at odds over the election results.

    President Nana Akufo-Addo’s ruling party will now have to negotiate with the opposition party in parliament to reach a compromise over the budget proposal.

    Ghana is touted as a stable democracy in volatile West Africa, although the 2021 elections were marked by opposition accusations of fraud and five people died in the violence.

  • Assembly suspends 2 Zamfara lawmakers for aiding banditry

    Assembly suspends 2 Zamfara lawmakers for aiding banditry

    The Zamfara House of Assembly has suspended two of its members, Yusuf Muhammad (APC-Anka) and Ibrahim Tukur (APC-Bakura) for allegedly aiding banditry in the state.

    This followed the adoption of a motion by Yusuf Kanoma (APC- Maru North) at Tuesday’s plenary in Gusau.

    Speaking on the motion, Kanoma urged the house to suspend the lawmakers over allegations that they were collaborating with bandits in the state.

    “One of them is suspected to have supplied information to bandits leading to the death of one of our lawmakers, Muhammad Ahmad, representing Shinkafi Constituency, who was killed on his way to Kano few months ago.

    “The other was seen rejoicing after the kidnapp of our Speaker’s father, who died in bandits captivity,”he said.

    Contributing, the Majority Leader, Alhaji Faruku Dosara, said that the allegations must be treated seriously and called for a thorough investigation by the House.

    Dosara suggested that the House should mandate one of its committees to investigate the matter and report back.

    Speaker Nasiru Magarya, thereafter, directed the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate the matter and report to the house in three months.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that during the plenary all the 24 lawmakers, the Clerk and Chairman of the Assembly Service Commission were made to swear to an oath that they had no connection with banditry in the state.

    In another development, the House on Tuesday screened and confirmed Sole Administrators for the 14 local government councils of the state as requested by the State Government.

    Some of those confirmed included Aminu Yarkofoji (Bakura), Kabiru Maigoro( Bini Magaji), Basiru Mu’awiyya (Bukkuyum), Muhammad Maiturare (Bungudu), Abubakar Dakitakwas (Gummi) and Sanusi Sarki (Gusau).

  • 11 lawmakers dump APGA, PDP for APC in Anambra

    11 lawmakers dump APGA, PDP for APC in Anambra

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the People’s Democratic Party have suffered some setbacks in Anambra as they jointly lost 11 lawmakers to the All Progressives Congress.

    The defectors include: Mr Douglas Egbuna, Ebuchi Offor, Vincent Oguwelu, Ifeanyichukwu Ibezi, Emeka Anoku,Chris Emeka, Ifeanyi Monah, Ohwudili Ezenwa, Chinwe Nwaebili, Chuma Nzeribe and Emeka Azubogu.

    They were received in Abuja by Gov Mai Mala Buni, Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

    Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, APC Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, announced this in a statement on Thursday, in Abuja.

    According to him, the lawmakers include five serving and four former House of Representatives members, and two Anambra House of Assembly members that defected from PDP and APGA to APC.

    He said that Buni, who is also the governor of Yobe, congratulated the new members, saying, they made the right decision by joining the APC and bringing their people to the national movement.

    “You have taken the right decision at the right time, you will enjoy all the rights and privileges of the party,” quoted Buni as saying.

    The defectors eulogised Buni for giving APC the required leadership and taking the party to greater heights.

    They promised to deliver their constituencies to the party in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election slated for Nov. 6.

    He said that the Speaker House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Governors of Imo, Kogi, Kano, Jigawa and Kebbi States assisted Buni to receive the lawmakers into APC at Imo Governor’s Lodge, Abuja.

  • A house of opportunities – Udeme Nana

    A house of opportunities – Udeme Nana

    By UDEME NANA

    The other day, a 61-year-old lawyer and former Member of the House of Representatives, infact, the spokesman of the House in his time, walked into the monthly meeting of Uyo Book Club and shared the story of the life of his late father. Mr. Eseme Eyibo regaled Members of the intellectual hub about how his late father, a village carpenter used to walk from Eket in the morning to Etinan to fix stools and wooden doors for people only to walk back to his humble homestead in Eket in the evening.

    However, the man, whose offsprings have immortalized him, saw an opportunity to drop his carpentry tools and port into teaching. Today, The House of Eyibo, THOE, is in the philanthropy of giving scholarships to students in various disciplines, with emphasis on Law, Pharmacy and Medicine.

    The House of Eyibo is not just a physical structure. This article is about a towering building in Uyo, in a choice and well-secured part of the Capital city, which occupies more than 18, 000 square meters on an expanse of 48,200 square meters, with a 500 capacity parking lot. That house was formally opened as part of activities to mark the 34th Anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom State by the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo with a fulfilled Governor Udom Emmanuel, his officials, special guests, stakeholders in the state grinning in satisfaction and beaming with smiles. That house was one unique birthday cake to the people of the State. A birthday cake, not to be eaten and digested with choice wine or water but one to be leased to choice tenants.

    Already, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, through the Minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has indicated interest to take two floors. Built for such high- end tenants which include International Oil companies, indigenous Oil companies prospecting and drilling in the State, the 21 storey state-of-the-art house holds much more than its glittering sight at day and in the night sky. It has changed the profile of the capital city to the town with the tallest building in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

    Nevertheless, it’s not really about the height, it’s location, it’s elegance and elevators, fire protection sensors, card readers, biometric control keypads, central stand-alone server work station or electric cabling for doors and automatic cards and other 21st-century technology compliant devices. That multi-billion bespoke piece of property represents a transformation that holds countless options for engagement.

    In recent history, the world has witnessed and embraced opportunities that saw drone technology replacing still – hand held cameras for photography and video coverage. Also, the banking sector has evolved to bring several opportunities where smart people have exploited. It is pertinent to point to transformation in writing from longhand to typing with typewriters to desktops, laptops, palm-tops. Our society has seen the transformation from ‘Alalok’ to the prevalent corporate taxis. There were people who saw opportunities in the music industry from recording on turntable disc players to compact disc’s, flash drives, music players and blue-tooth mediated downloads.

    The society has seen the evolution from stationary telephones to mobile phones of various types and sizes complete with digital cameras, television and radio access. One could go on and on to reel out opportunities that came in the wake of new facilities which visionaries explored and exploited for economic gain. The brand new intelligence edifice is one such house of opportunities beyond what the eyes can readily see. It is a boon to techies.

    This was aptly captured by Mr. Udom Inoyo, former Vice Chairman of ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria in his Keynote Address to participants in the Akwa Ibom Technology Week held on Friday, 17th September 2021. Speaking on the theme ‘Positioning Akwa Ibom Youths for Global Success in the 21st Century, Mr. Inoyo pointed to opportunities awaiting the youths in “the servicing of the smart building”. According to the widely exposed erstwhile oil company executive, “youths are expected to leverage on the low technology adoption rate within the state as an opportunity to explore new frontiers to test and market their capabilities”.

    He told the budding techies ‘you must be smart to access multiple frontiers with promising economic opportunities and break technological barriers”.

    If the youths took that tip offered by Mr. Inoyo who, given his vast knowledge and experience spanning 31 years in an industry that adapted easily to new technologies, the youths would not only become employees in that facility but employers of labor who would occupy office spaces in the city, pay taxes, improve their purchasing power and would be challenged to join the pantheon of technopreneurs who saw opportunities in emergent systems or circumstances and take bold steps to explore and exploit such opportunities for the benefit of humanity.

    Mr Inoyo cited the example of several youths globally and in Nigeria including Mark Essien, who innovated with a hotel booking platform to serve the needs of customers. To walk his talk, the Advisor of Inoyo Toro Foundation, a Non Governmental Organization which has impacted the lives of thousands of people in the state since its inception more than a decade ago, further affirmed the Foundation’s mission to support innovative solutions that will stimulate capacity development to enhance economic growth in the state. He announced a build and grow boot camp for 72 techies valued at more than N100million where all the participants would be inducted into the African Fintech Community Platform with access to markets, partners and investors.

    The inauguration of that beautiful house in Uyo, therefore provides a challenge to the teeming youths of the state to examine critically, the opportunities offered by the state of the art facilities with a view to leveraging on the strategic window to add value. As Mr. Inoyo charged, youths should grab this house of opportunities “with open hands and make the best of it”.

  • We need Berlin kind of walls on our borders to combat insecurity – Navy tells lawmakers

    We need Berlin kind of walls on our borders to combat insecurity – Navy tells lawmakers

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    To combat the tide of insecurity and the proliferation of arms and ammunition in Nigeria, erecting the Berlin kind of wall between Nigeria and her neighbours is urgently required, the Nigerian Navy has said.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports Navy Commodore Jemila Abubakar Sadiq stated this on Monday, in a public hearing on four security related bills organized by the House of Representatives committee on National Security and Intelligence in Abuja.

    Sadiq said “most of Nigeria’s neighbours lack basic armouries to store and keep proper record of the arms donated to them by foreign governments or regional bodies to fight insurgency.

    She added that soldiers of countries such as Chad sleep with unregistered weapons under their beds and sell same to make ends meet whenever the need arises.

    “I was in charge as member of fight against Boko Haram and I can tell you categorically, and I stand to be corrected that some of the countries that have borders with us have no armoury. They do not have armouries so most of their arms that are being donated by the developed countries in the name of assisting us to fight our problems are compounding our problems in Nigeria because you find out that each average Chadian soldier has 20 to 30 arms underneath his bed. When he is broke he brings it out and sells it for $30, $20. I am here, I am standing here and I am saying it.”

    “Since we are going to collaborate with ECOWAS and other countries that are donating such arms to this countries, I think we should insist that they should either enact laws to govern the handling of these arms and ammunition or build armories for these countries or else we would not see peace.

    “The CCTV we are advocating for in my opinion even though they say the Berlin wall has been knocked down, I think we should build walls between us and these neighboring countries, or we should have a serious surveillance or else we would not see peace in this country, I am telling you this. I have been in that area for years, so I know what is happening”, she said.

    She also advocated for the removal of the Foreign Affairs Ministry from the board of the proposed national commission for the control of small arms and light weapons, and replace it with the ministry of Internal Affairs.

    “We are contributing on small arms. The Ministry of Internal Affairs instead of Foreign Affairs should handle this same transaction. Internal affairs again should chair this commission.

    “In addition to the listed agencies, we are suggesting that the armed forces be included and the immigration be included also”, she said.

    The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), in its submission expressed the need to regulate the activities of local blacksmiths who it said have become sophisticated in the art of fabricating firearms.

    Represented by Air Commodore F. G. Okoyi, the DIA commended the proposed establishment of the commission, saying that it “would go long way to ensure the coordination of concrete measures for effective control of small arms and light weapons in the country.”

    While suggesting the appropriate supervising ministry for the commission, the Air force officer stressed the need to regulate and integrate blacksmiths for effective control of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.

    “The Ministry of defense should oversee the affairs of the Commission. The cautionary attachment to blacksmith skills as well as the traditional weapons manufactured for hunting, ceremonial and ornamental purposes has remained the symbol of power and prestige in some traditional communities in Nigeria.

    “However in recent times, blacksmiths have advanced their skills and now possess the capability to manufacture assorted and sophisticated rifles such as AK 47, revolvers, pistols, improvise explosive devices among others. This development has created the need to identify, monitor and regulate their activities. Thus the need to scout for blacksmiths that could be integrated into the Defense Industrial Cooperation DICON to enable all defence industry complex exploit their talents”, he said.

  • Stop seeing, treating media like political opponent – Editors tell FG, lawmakers

    Stop seeing, treating media like political opponent – Editors tell FG, lawmakers

    Nigeria’s umbrella union of all editors, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), has said the media industry is not a political opponent or enemy of the Federal Government.

    The guild said many of the political elite’s attacks on the media were not envisioned to win an argument on values – journalistic or legal – but meant to bully media organisations.

    The NGE said this while reacting to what it called “draconian provisions” in two Bills to amend the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act that are currently before the National Assembly.

    The guild said the sponsors of the Bills claimed that they were aimed at moderating the “recklessness” of the media, but it argued that they “are actually meant to criminalise journalism practice in the country”.

    In a statement by Mustapha Isah (President) and Iyobosa Uwugiaren (General Secretary), the NGE said the media, being the “oxygen of democracy”, would be strangulated if the Bills were passed in their present forms.

    “At a time there is a popular ongoing global conversation about the need for a #NewDealForJournalism” – for immediate and sustained action from, and collaboration between governments and other influential actors to improve the policy, funding, and enabling environment for independent professional journalism – we see the proposed legislations as unhelpful.

    “While we are not opposed to an Act that will promote media stakeholders-driven regulatory council, the many draconian provisions in the Odebunmi Olusegun-sponsored Bills are actually aimed at criminalising media practice in Nigeria. While the intention of the sponsor of the bills is suspicious, the Bills negate all known features of media regulatory bodies in the world,” the NGE said.

    The guild alluded to the NPC Act, CAP N128, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1992, created by the military dictatorship.

    It noted that while the NPC Act “gives the Council’s Board full responsibility to administer the council”, the proposed Act restricts the council’s board to “advisory capacity on a part-time basis without direct interference in the day-to-day administration of the council”, and gives the Executive Secretary all the power.

    “While the proposed NPC Act says the Board shall consist of one representative each from the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the Ministry of Information, two representative of the general public, one of whom shall be a legal practitioner and a woman and Executive Secretary of the council, who shall serve as the secretary to the Board, the board is a mere advisory body.

    “The Bill also says that the Chairman of the Board shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister in charge of Information, and that all other members of the Board shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation by the Minister of Information. The intension of this kind of Council is suspicious,” the NGE said.

    The body of editors stressed that the professional body does not need the approval of the Minister of Information to establish and disseminate a National Press Code and standards to guide the conduct of the print media, related media houses and media practitioners.

    The body approved the placement of penalties and fines against violation of the press code, as provided for in the Bill.

    On the proposed NBC amendment legislation, the guild said the Section 23 of the Bill, which gives the Minister of Information the powers to participate in the making of regulations, is unhelpful.

    It added that the participation of the minister would turn NBC into a tool for political interference.

    The guild also said the provisions of the two bills give the impression that the Federal Government is out to crush its enemy, saying that the media is not an enemy of the state.

    The NGE added that the two Bills, if passed, would compound the nation’s negative image in the global community.

    It stressed that the Bills are perceived to be attempts to further stifle the democratic space in the country, which is currently having challenges in all fronts.

    The NGE said it also opposed to heavy involvement of the President and the Minister of Information in the composition of appointments into the boards of NBC and the NPC, saying the board members should appoint their own chairmen.

    It added: “The NPC and NBC should be truly independent, and should not be under the supervision of the Minister of Information, who is a political office holder and affiliated to a political party.”

    “The Ghana model comes to mind here. Nigeria should be seen to be moving with time, instead of taking retrogressive steps in media freedom.”

    The guild urged the National Assembly to remove the obnoxious provisions in the two Bills, which make them look as if they were meant to strangulate, instead of regulate the media.

  • Amendment: Why lawmakers can’t alter all parts of current constitution – Omo-Agege

    Amendment: Why lawmakers can’t alter all parts of current constitution – Omo-Agege

    Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege has said contrary to popular opinion and expectations, lawmakers don’t have powers to alter all parts of the current constitution.

    The Delta lawmaker however urged all those agitating for a new constitution to mount pressure on their representatives at the National Assembly.

    Constitution amendment and review has been an issue of debate in Nigeria for quite a while with many calling for the total repealing of the present charter.

    The proponents of the repeal process argue that the 1999 Constitution upon which the nation currently operates is not a ‘peoples constitution’. According to these advocates, the present canon is flawed and was forced upon Nigerians by the military.

    For those who seek to repeal the Constitution, an amendment will not suffice, however, Senator Omo-Agege in during a monitored Channels Television programme on Thursday said the legislators “do not have the power to write a new Constitution,” adding that the only power invested in the legislature is the ability to alter.

    According to him, the extant legal order only provides for alterations, not a total overhaul. He stressed that Section 9 which some often quote, envisages that any provision of the constitution can be altered, but not all at once.

    Omo-Agege further disclosed that for a rewrite of the constitution to be done, then Section 9 would have to be amended, however, for this section to be revised, then four-fifth vote in the Senate which is about 88 Senators out of 109 and about 288 members of the House of Reps.

    The Deputy Senate President said a bill needs to be put forward to effect an amendment of Section 9, however, noted that it is very difficult to muster the vote needed for a revision of the section that could give the power needed to have the present constitution repealed.

    The lawmaker assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari is interested in the constitutional review process and will assent to any bill that emanates from it.

    He also promised that the Senate will work towards an inclusive amendment of the constitution free from the manipulations of political actors.

  • Drama as COAS refuses to apologise to lawmakers, says ‘my predecessors, not me should answer questions on arms purchase’

    Drama as COAS refuses to apologise to lawmakers, says ‘my predecessors, not me should answer questions on arms purchase’

    There was some tension between the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on arms and ammunition, and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru following the investigation into arms purchase by the military.

    Things took a different turn when the Chief of Army Staff, refused to speak further on a document which he had presented to the committee, asking the committee instead to review the documents which he considered self-explanatory.

    The Chief of Army Staff insisted that he had barely settled into office and is definitely not the right person to speak on arms and ammunition purchased by his predecessors.

    “The submission before you speaks to the report before you. It is an executive summary. It is very self-explanatory to the extent that it has been pluralised. When you demanded this report, you stated a specific period for which you wanted it.

    “You may wish to recall that the Chief of Army Staff took over the mantle of leadership barely two months ago.

    “The period for which you want this report having been summarised in the executive summary explained whatever details you require.

    “Issues of arms procurement that you so demand to know were done by specific individuals, I will rather you call these individuals to explain to you very specific issues the general explanation is contained in this report,” the COAS told the lawmakers.

    Meanwhile, a member of the committee from Delta State, Ejiro Ogene, had earlier during the proceedings frowned at the COAS explanation for not appearing before the committee.

    According to him, the National Assembly is the House of the Nigerian people and everybody in public office works for Nigerians adding that the House speaks for the people.

    “When we ask you to come, the people are the ones speaking, sovereignty lies in the people; if we see it like this, things will be different.

    “I expect that the COAS tenders an apology, not an explanation; you are serving the people and they are as your employer,” he said.

    The COAS in response said his explanation serves as an apology.

    “When you say I offered an explanation, it is as good as an apology. It only tells you the reasons why I wasn’t here and the reasons are pungent enough,” COAS told the lawmakers.

    However, as tensions were rising, Chairman of the Committee, Olaide Akinremi ruled that the hearing goes into a closed-door meeting and the media were asked to leave the hearing.

    The committee is reviewing the purchase, use, and control of arms, ammunition, and related hardware by the military, paramilitary, and other law enforcement agencies in Nigeria.

  • PDP lifts suspension on Elumelu, six other lawmakers

    PDP lifts suspension on Elumelu, six other lawmakers

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lifted the suspension placed on Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr Ndudi Elumelu and six other lawmakers in July 2019.

    PDP said this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, on Thursday in Abuja.
    Ologbondiyan named the six lawmakers to include Mr Wole Oke; Ms Lynda Ikpeazu; Mr Anayo Edwin; Mr Gideon Gwani; Mr Toby Okechukwu and Mr Adekoya Addul-majid.

    He said that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party lifted the suspension based on the recommendations of various committees constituted on issues relating to their suspension.

    “The party charges the lawmakers to be loyal to the party and obey its directives in line with its constitution and vision of its founding fathers.

    “In the same vein, the party maintains that it continues to recognise the PDP Caucus of the House of Representatives as led by Rep. Kingsley Chinda,” he said.

    He advised all lawmakers elected on the platform of the party to continue to participate in the activities of the Caucus.

    Ologbondiyan urged the lawmakers to ensure a stronger and more viable opposition that speak with one voice in the House.

    He said that the party had directed its Harmonisation Committee led by Gov. Aminu Tambuwal to meet with PDP members in the House with a view to ensuring harmonious relationship among them.

    PDP had in July 2019 suspended the seven lawmakers for anti-party activities, particularly their roles in the selection of the Minority Leadership in the House.