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Tag: NASS

  • NASS to reform Nigeria’s education curriculum – Gbajabiamila

    NASS to reform Nigeria’s education curriculum – Gbajabiamila

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that the National Assembly will work toward reforming Nigeria’s education curriculum.

    Gbajabiamila said this while speaking at the third convocation ceremony organised by the University of Benin and the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja on Monday.

    Represented by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, the Speaker said the reform is to ensure Nigeria’s education system is in tune with current trends across the globe.

    He also harped on the need for increased funding for research and innovation activities in some of Nigeria’s institutions to help generate local solutions to the country’s challenges.

    He said: “As part of our commitment to reform the education sector, the 9th Assembly will work with the Federal Ministry of Education to reform the national education curriculum to ensure that students are well equipped to meet the demands of modern times.

    “In this regard, we also recognise the importance of sufficiently funding research and innovation activities in our specialised institutions and ensure that we generate local solutions to the challenges that confront us.”

    The Speaker added that the National Assembly has also prioritised key national issues such as security, anti-corruption, gender equity, open governance and public health.

    He said for the lawmakers to perform their duties effectively and reach desired goals, the National Assembly needs its institutional and human capacity strengthened.

    “Specifically, in the 9th Assembly, we in the House of Representatives have defined a vision for ourselves which is “guided by considerations of the best interest of the Nigerian people”,” he said.

    “As such, we have prioritised social justice and welfare. Some of the issues we intend to tackle head on include wealth creation, social and food security, prison reforms, internally displaced persons, protection of the girl child and environmental protection.

    “For the National Assembly to perform optimally and make the kind of impact we envisage, we must continually develop our expertise, knowledge and technical capacity in various aspects of legislative functions.”

    Gbajabiamila further harped on the need for the NILDS to move to its permanent site to help the legislative arm perform its functions effectively.

    According to him, “the ultra-modern facility will allow the Institute to expand and affiliate with other renowned institutions of learning including John Hopkins University – all of which have indicated interest in partnering with the Institute.

    “It is because of this that the leadership of the 9th Assembly has committed itself to making sure that the Institute finally moves to the permanent site soonest.”

  • NASS pledges better funding for Nigerian Army

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Sen. Ali Ndume and the House of Representatives counterpart, Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, have promised to ensure adequate funding for the Nigerian Army in the 2020 budget.

    They made the promise on Saturday in an interview with newsmen during the Passing Out Parade (POP) of 78 Regular Recruits Intake at the Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria, Kaduna State.

    They said that the army needed to be adequately funded to be able to effectively tackle the prevailing security threats in the country.

    Ndume, who agreed that the N100 billion proposed for the defence in 2020 budget was inadequate, said that the committee on army was looking at how to help to enhance the funding.

    He said that the national assembly was aware of needs of the army that needed to be provided to enable its personnel to perform their duties effectively.

    “We are going to do something despite the fact that the resources are scarce but security is first and everybody has agreed to that.

    “We are looking at the budget critically to place our priorities right so that the right things will be done first.”

    Namdas said that the joint committee had embark on fact finding tour to army formations across the country and realised that the army had challenges.

    According to him, they are really on ground, they have done so much and now that the National Assembly is considering the budget we can appropriate for the army.

    “We will see how we can be able to adjust and see how that can be able to cope with the challenges at hand,” he said.

    Namdas also disclosed that a motion to provide for special funding for the armed forces was currently being considered on the floor of the House of Representatives.

    He added that the armed forces could not be adequately funded only by the budget, adding that there was need to look beyond the budget to finance the operations of the armed forces.

    “That motion has been taken and we are looking to it and by the special grace of God, even after the budget we will look for special funding for the armed forces generally,” he said.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Depot Nigerian Army on Saturday graduated a total of 4832 regular recruits who would be deployed to various formations of the army.

    Similarly, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, urged the graduating soldiers to always uphold the oath of allegiance they had taken to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

    Olonisakin also tasked them to display total loyalty while pledging that the prevailing security challenges would soon be over through the commitment of the military.

  • Why I forwarded Finance Bill to NASS – Buhari

    Why I forwarded Finance Bill to NASS – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari says the Finance Bill 2019 he forwarded to the National Assembly, when passed into law, will permit government to raise the country’s Value Added Tax (VAT) from 5 to 7.5 per cent.

    The Nigerian leader disclosed this when he presented the 2020 Appropriation Bill to the joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He said: “The draft Finance Bill proposes an increase of the VAT rate from five per cent to 7.5 per cent As such, the 2020 Appropriation Bill is based on this new VAT rate.

    ”The additional revenues will be used to fund health, education and infrastructure programmes.

    ”As the States and Local Governments are allocated 85 per cent of all VAT revenues, we expect to see greater quality and efficiency in their spending in these areas as well.”

    According to him, the VAT Act already exempts pharmaceuticals, educational items, and basic commodities, saying the exemptions are being expanded under the Finance Bill, 2019.

    President Buhari listed specific items that would be exempted from the proposed VAT to brown and white bread; Cereals including maize, rice, wheat, millet, barley and sorghum; Fish of all kinds; Flour and starch meals.

    Other items, according to him, are fruits, nuts, pulses and vegetables of various kinds; Roots such as yam, cocoyam, sweet and Irish potatoes; Meat and poultry products including eggs; Milk; Salt and herbs of various kinds; and Natural water and table water.

    According to the President, the bill has five strategic objectives of promoting fiscal equity, reforming domestic tax laws and raising revenue.

    He said: “Accompanying the 2020 Budget Proposal is a Finance Bill for your kind consideration and passage into law.

    ”This Finance Bill has five strategic objectives, in terms of achieving incremental, but necessary, changes to our fiscal laws.

    ”These objectives are; Promoting fiscal equity by mitigating instances of regressive taxation; Reforming domestic tax laws to align with global best practices and Introducing tax incentives for investments in infrastructure and capital markets.”

    Other objectives of the bill are: ”Supporting Micro, Small and Medium-sized businesses in line with our Ease of Doing Business Reforms; and Raising Revenues for Government.

    “Additionally, our proposals also raise the threshold for VAT registration to N25 million in turnover per annum, such that the revenue authorities can focus their compliance efforts on larger businesses thereby bringing relief for our Micro, Small and Medium-sized businesses.”

    President Buhari further maintained that, “it is absolutely essential to intensify our revenue generation efforts.

    ”That said, this Administration remains committed to ensuring that the inconvenience associated with any fiscal policy adjustments, is moderated, such that the poor and the vulnerable, who are most at risk, do not bear the brunt of these reforms.”

  • Budget: NASS committed to improve on past imperfections – Gbajabiamila

    Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila says that the 9th National Assembly will improve on “past imperfections” of annual national budgets to “leave a legacy of budgets enacted without rancour”.
    Gbajabiamila said this at the close of 2020 budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday.
    The speaker assured Nigerians that the 9th Assembly would implement the budget diligently and achieve the objectives of national development for which they were intended.
    “There are significant flaws in the process of passage and implementation of our annual national budgets.
    “Some of these problems are structural, others are a function of failures of process and inadequacies in attitude.
    “We fully intend to return to a January to December budget cycle and to put an end to the policy instability and economic uncertainty that is a consequence of an unpredictable budget cycle,” he said.
    He also said that the current National Assembly would make every effort to achieve constructive collaboration with the executive on all matters of appropriation, implementation and oversight.
    “We recognise that our highest ambitions and the collective best interests of our nationhood can only be achieved when the legislature and the executive work together in pursuit of our shared ambitions.
    “We will seek collaboration, but we will not yield on our constitutional obligation to ensure faithful compliance with the letter and spirit of the Appropriation Act by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government.
    “Above all else, we will hold ourselves in the legislature and others, to the highest standards of probity because to fall short of excellence will be to betray the calling of leadership to which we all have answered,” he said.
    President Muhammadu Buhari, accompanied by members of the Federal Executive Council, presented the Appropriation Bill of ₦10.33 trillion for the 2020 fiscal year to the National Assembly.
    The president said that the 2020 budget was designed to be a budget of “Fiscal consolidation to strengthen our macroeconomic environment; Investing in critical infrastructure, human capital development and enabling institutions, especially in key job creating sectors.’’

  • Buhari presents 2020 Budget proposal to NASS today

    The Presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari is set to present the 2020 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly (NASS) on Tuesday.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed this development at the end of an extraordinary meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    The meeting which considered the 2020 budget proposals before its presentation to the National Assembly on Tuesday by 1.30pm, was presided over by President Buhari at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday. Adesina, who briefly spoke to State House correspondents, said: “No briefing, we only looked at what we will present at the National Assembly tomorrow”, referring to Tuesday’s presentation of the 2020 budget proposal to the NASS by President Buhari.

    President Nuhari is expected to lay the 2020 budget before a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives on Oct. 8 for approval, “as the country intends to revert to the January to December budget cycle.’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the early presentation of the 2020 budget is meant to return the Federal Government budget cycle from May-June to January-December.

    The Senate had on Thursday increased the proposed 2020 budget from N10.007 billion to N10.729trillion.

    However, President Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly had on Sunday night (Oct. 6) met behind closed doors at the President’s official residence in Abuja in what appeared to be `2020 budget reconciliation meeting’.

  • Gbajabiamila frowns at MDAs boss neglect of NASS invitation

    By Gabriel Okoro, Abuja
    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila says he is bothered over the failure of head of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to honour the invitation by the National Assembly when needed for questioning.
    The Speaker disclosed this while receiving the Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dasuki Arabi and his team on Wednesday in Abuja.
    He said among the reform agenda of the House, he will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the challenge soon.
    According to the Speaker, the House will launch its own reform agenda when they resume from the recess.
    Reacting to the Bureau of Public Service Reforms achievements as read by its Director General, the Speaker admitted that the agency have done enough but it is still not there yet.
    “It’s one thing to reform it’s another thing to give it a legal backing to give it teeth to bite. If you want these reforms to be effective, there is need to collaborate with the National Assembly for legal backing”, said the Speaker.
    He added that to reform, it requires the public to be sensitised.
    Earlier in his remarks, the Director General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dasuki Asabi explained that the agency is linked to the ongoing budget reform process.
    Speaking further, Arabi said the agency is recommending the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to be the sole database for all in the country.
    While making known other achievements of the agency, he noted that it has developed a website that will assist in ranking ministries of their performances.

  • Tribunal upholds election of PDP NASS members in Akwa Ibom

    The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal presided over by Justice Jennifer Ijohor on Thursday upheld the elections of Senator Bassey Albert for Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District, Hon. Unyime Idem for Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency and Nse Ekpenyong of Oron/Udung Uko/Urueffong Oruko/Mbo/Okobo federal constituency.

    The three-member tribunal sitting at the State Sanitation Court Complex in Uyo ruled in favour of the Respondents who are all members of the People Democratic Party(PDP), citing the inability of Petitioners to prove allegations of criminality and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, as contained in their petitions.

    In the Akwa Ibom North Senatorial District petition, the petitioners, Bassey Etim, candidate and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleged that Bassey Albert was not elected by majority of lawful votes; not qualified to contest the National Assembly elections as his documents were falsified; and that his emergence was by reason of corrupt practices; and non-compliance with the Electoral Act by the Independent National Electoral Commission

    The petitioners, who were represented at the tribunal by Reuben Egwaba Esq, relied on Section 140(3) to urge that the tribunal nullifies the election of Senator Bassey Albert and declare Mr Bassey Etim as the winner.

    In the alternative, Etim called on the tribunal to order a fresh election and exclude the PDP and Senator Bassey Albert from contesting.

    However, Counsel to the PDP, O. B. Akpan Esq and that of the 1st Respondent Mr.Solomon Umoh SAN represented by M. D. Gwaison, submitted that the petitioners, who made wild criminal allegations of falsification of documents and noncompliance with electoral act, did not tender any other document to prove their claim.

    Barr Akpan also said that a Witness subpoenaed by the Petitioner, S. O. Ibrahim, Deputy Director, Legal Department of INEC had testified that Senator Albert satisfied INEC’s screening to contest the elections, and that no reports have been received by INEC from WAEC or any of the institutions denying any document submitted by Senator Albert.

    On votes acquired by Senator Albert, the respondents held that “the Petitioners submitted polling unit results as Exhibits P1-P317 and P320-P821 but merely dumped them at this Tribunal without linking any to their Petition during trial.

    “All witnesses of the Petitioners including the Petitioner only relied on hearsay in their Witness Statements. They confirmed on cross examination that they only received reports from agents,” maintaining that they were unable to pinpoint units of which INEC did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

    “On lawful votes, the Petitioners carefully avoided and abandoned their pleadings without giving any evidence, written or oral to prove how Senator Albert was not returned elected”.

    Similarly, the election of Hon. Unyime Idem was also upheld on ground that evidences of Petitioners and their witnesses were based on hearsay from polling unit agents, without substantial evidences.

    In proof of their petition, the petitioners called only three (3) witnesses, PW1 – Aniebiet Sunday Idung, PW2 – Friday Thomas Uwa, PW3 – Emmanuel Ukoette

    However the Tribunal upheld the argument of the respondents that, “all grave criminal allegations must be proven beyond reasonable doubt. Witnesses can only give evidences at polling units where they voted”.

    The tribunal agreed with the 1st and 2nd respondents that the election into House of Representatives for the Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State was conducted by the 3rd Respondent in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and 2019 General Elections Guidelines and Regulations in the discharge of its constitutional function.

    The Tribunal also ordered the Petitioner, Emmanuel Ukoette to pay Hon. Idem the sum of one hundred thousand naira (N100, 000).

    Similarly, the petition brought before the tribunal by Mr Victor Antai of the APC challenging the victory of Chief Nse Ekpenyong of the PDP for Oron Federal Constituency was dismissed for lacking in merit.

    As at the time of this report, ruling was being awaited for the Uyo Federal Constituency seat where Mr Ekerete Ekpenyong of the APC is challenging the victory of Mr Michael Enyong of the PDP in the February 23, 2019 national assembly election

  • Insecurity: Collaborate with NASS to enact law fast tracking trial, execution of culpable kidnappers, Oluwo tells Buhari in open letter

    The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I, has written an open letter to President Mohammad Buhari over security challenges facing the nation.
    In the letter released to the press, the first class monarch said he was compelled to write Mr. President because of the fragile moment and a threat to the nation’s peace and unity.
    The Oluwo said: “I rarely write, not because of what or how but as a proactive father, I love actions. But for the purpose of Nigerians, my race and my promising subjects, I chose to communicate this solution based epistle for two things – to avert journey of no return (war) and kill negative ambitions with alternative means.
    “The recent security threat emanating from incessant kidnapping by bad elements or alleged Fulani herdsmen most especially in the south western Nigeria is not without general knowledge. Many brainstorming sessions have been conducted by stakeholders.
    “Just three days ago, I was with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Osun State Government House, Osogbo, Osun State addressing the same burning issue. I’ve suggested both long term and short term solutions for policy makers attention. One of those suggestions was adopted by some State Assemblies recently.
    “I met Nigeria as Nigeria. There were hurdles but our fathers managed themselves despite diverse ethnic background. As a pragmatic leader, I’m hopeful you are on toe to run peacefully.
    “Peace cannot be achieved through violence; it can only be attained through understanding.” Ralph Waldo Emerson says Education is a tool to peace though it does not guarantees peace. Understanding is the primary key to peace. Had Yugoslavia, Liberia, Sierra Leone knew this, may be they would have avoided blood bath. I was caught up in the Liberia war and even fought along Charles Taylor as a rebel on the NPFL, the havoc wrecked all.
    “War knows no status, age, influence, identity. Mano and Gio tirelessly committed atrocities against the Kru tribe, the whole nation was tore a day to Christmas celebration (December 24th, 1989) led by National Patriotic Front of Nigeria under the watch of Charles Taylor. It consumed over 250,000 souls including leaders despite plea for dare lives. Majority paid the debt they didn’t owe. War is an enemy of identity. War turns the rich to beggars and something to nothing.
    “I’ve seen many survivors of war including Professors, Doctors, Ministers, and even kings lining up with plates begging for food. Human eating human during war. Nothing except your cloth is yours in a war zone, provided not naked at the point of attack. Is this what some are drumming? Who will pray to line up begging for food? Do this people know about war in 21st century?
    “As a responsible father, I will never go with bloodshed. No father will pray to loose his children. No father will want to be childless and turn barren at menopause. No one will prefer turning a beggar in the land of hope. There is an understandable way of killing a rat without shedding blood. We shouldn’t forget in haste event have overtaking Voodoos and traditional war instruments. A fighter jet can destroy thousands in jiffy. Mr. President, I say no to war. War is older than us all. ‘Òkun ki o ruru, kawa ruru’ meaning you don’t fuel a burning fire.
    “Mr. President, I want to urge you, call every opinion leaders to order to stage a caution of their utterances at this moment. If you can’t be peace we want, don’t be agent of chaos.”
    According to the royal fathers, there are short and long term solutions to the nation’s insecurity.
    He continued: “In my own assessment your excellency, the solutions to the trauma are two – Short term and long term. My domain is the highest host of the Fulanis in Osun State. Before the escalation of the kidnapping menace, I’ve visited the Fulanis in my domain mandating formal education and threatened to arrest parents of teen children rearing cattle during school hours.
    “They obliged although not completely. Recently, Seriki Fulani brought one their children who graduated from university to my palace. Understanding is key while education is the door to peace. I want to appeal to your excellency to assent a legislation that will compel education for children and enact strict punishment for parents refusing to educate their children.
    “Priority can be placed on the Fulanis with preferential monitoring of nomadic settlements. This option will secure their future to be engineers, pilots, doctors, professors, kings, bankers , ambassadors etc and not kidnappers.
    “Additionally, growth is gradual. Our security should go digital. If not now, who else is our Messiah? Nigeria security should be strengthened. The boost can optionally be assured through mandatory and timely provision of electronic national identity card for everyone on Nigeria soil such that the security force can accost and demand for identification anywhere anytime. With digital ID card, the security can track suspicious members of the society.
    “Your excellency, as a short term mechanism, kidnapping cases should be given accelerated hearing with death as penalty for culpable kidnappers. The famous Ralph Waldo Emerson was remembered quoting that “there are five enemies to peace: ambition, avarice, anger, pride and envy.” Enacting such severe law will dissociate perpetrators from the five enemies of peace. We can’t continue cold handling and expect cold retort. Kidnappers are killers. If caught, they should have a taste of their intention.
    “Your Excellency, I want to appeal for quick response to enact a law in collaboration with the national assembly for quick trial and execution of culpable kidnappers. There is no justifiable excuse for injustice. Injustice is only justified when matching penalty is meted. The change is in action. Let two, three to four culpable kidnappers taste death, then, we will breath air of peace. Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous, according to George Bernard Shaw.
    “Additionally, there should a special federal government sponsored enlightenment program for herdsmen to halt farm attacks. I have done it in the past. I tutored Fulanis in my area on ranch and provision of hay. You walk your cattle miles to feed them. Acquired nutrients almost used while covering miles walking them back home. Even in the course of covering miles of journey in the bush, there are many dangers. The federal government should legislate advanced training on cattle raising as obtainable in developed nations. Construct ranch in your personal land, and feed them with hay. Hay is the best food for the cattle. There is little nutrient in silage. Formal learning should be made compulsory for herdsmen while government can as well sponsor them overseas for training on ranching.
    “In a final note, let me state it unequivocally that Nigeria is indivisible. The only voodoo to war is peace not traditional concoctions in digital age. We are on the part of greatness. We must not for once be drunk with deception of war. Mr. President, my words are given for your attention. Nigeria is yours and mine. While I pray for wisdom greater than that of Solomon to constructively pilot Nigeria, do accept the assurances of traditional rulers support at effecting solutions mentioned and conduct Nigeria’s affairs.”

  • CSOs to Ninth NASS: Give teeth to fight against graft

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    Civil Society Organisations CSOs on Wednesday called on the Senate President Sen.Dr. Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker, House of Representatives Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to ensure that the 9th National Assembly under their leadership give fight against corruption all the necessary legal backing to succeed.
    Executive Director Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre CISLAC, Mr Auwal Ibrahim Musa,the MC Arthur Foundation and other CSOs made the appeal at a one day workshop organised by journalists with the theme: Fight Against Corruption: Setting Agenda for the 9th House.
    The CISLAC boss called on the National Assembly leaders to effectively carry out oversight duties on the Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs of government so that they can gain the confidence of Nigerians and change the negative public perception of the legislature.
    He called on the legislature to complement the Executive and Judicial arms of government in fighting corruption adding that it would help in extrication of Nigeria from the corruption it is currently enmeshed in.
    He therefore charged the two presiding officers of the apex legislature to ensure that they mainstream their anti-corruption stand so that they can gain the confidence of Nigerians.
    Also speaking at the event, Mr Oladapo Olajide of the MC Arthur Foundation said that the National Assembly is in a good position to drive the anti-corruption agencies out of business.
    He also called on the leaders of the apex parliament to pay attention to the issue of audited reports in the MDAs and added that the next four years should help us in the fight against graft
    He hinted that a 2017 NEITI report has brought into the public domain that there is a whopping $20,000000000 unspent funds in MDAs of the federal government.