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Tag: NASS

  • Drama as Shi’ites invade NASS, chase Police, others away

    Drama as Shi’ites invade NASS, chase Police, others away

    Members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) popularly known as Shi’ites are laying siege at the main gate of National Assembly in Abuja.

    The Shiítes group reportedly forced their way into the assembly complex and chased away armed policemen on duty.

    The protesters besieged the National Assembly in continuation of protests to commemorate the 68th birthday anniversary of their spiritual leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, who has been in detention since 2015.

    Members of the movement were initially peaceful in their conduct although they were chanting anti-government songs from outside the gate.

    But situation turned awry when some of them suddenly descended on the gate, shaking it vigorously until they succeeded in forcing it open, almost causing a stampede because of the crowd.

    Some of the policemen attached to the gate tactically took to their heels, as the protesters trooped in with chants of ‘Alahu Akbar’.

    It took the appeal of leaders of the movement to stop the crowd from advancing into chambers of the assembly proper.

    Despite provocation by the protesters, the Police remained calm and peaceful, and only pleaded with them not to go into the chamber.

  • APC govs to meet Buhari, Oshiomhole over deputy speaker

    APC govs to meet Buhari, Oshiomhole over deputy speaker

    As part of efforts to settle for a consensus candidate from the North-Central for the position of deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, All Progressives Congress (APC) governors from the zone are to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari any time this week.

    The meeting is expected to be attended by the national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and all party chairmen from the six states that make up the geopolitical zone.

    Only last Thursday, the governors and some state party chairmen reportedly endorsed Senator Ahmed Lawan for Senate President and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as speaker of the House.

    A close aide to Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau, who disclosed this to some select journalists, said the meeting was in furtherance of efforts by the governors and party leaders to ensure that lawmakers from the region accept the decision of the party to zone the position of speaker to the South-West and deputy speaker to North-Central.

    He said Lalong was already in Abuja and was putting finishing touches towards hosting the meeting to find a common ground for the zone.

    “His Excellency and his colleagues may be meeting with President Buhari sometime this week to finalise the position of the North-Central on zoning of political offices. You are aware that we have been given the position of deputy speaker, but some of our lawmakers in the geopolitical zone are still contesting for speaker.

    “This is giving the party and especially leaders in the zone some concern because, the North-Central is the heart of APC and we do not want a situation whereby it will become the problem of the party. We want to nip this current disagreement in the bud before it causes some damage to the party,” the source said.

    Continuing, the party stalwart from Plateau said: “Right now, there is Hon. Bago from Niger, Hon. Dyegh from Benue and our son, Hon. Idris Wase from Plateau, all contesting for speaker. But the party, in its wisdom, said no; let’s give it to South-West. You people should take deputy speaker. There is no doubt we deserve more, but deputy speaker is also fair.

    “In fact, those contestants will also be part of this upcoming meeting. We want to talk like brothers and like true party men. This is not a fight or imposition, but we will talk to ourselves and resolve this matter once and for all,” he stated.

    However, it was gathered from other sources that although some of the governors were not comfortable with the position of deputy speaker at the meeting they held last week at Plateau Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, they all agreed that there was need to close up and avoid any pitfall that may give the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) an opportunity from taking over leadership of the House and Senate.

    Recall that following the zoning of the position of speaker to South-West and deputy speaker to North-Central at the dinner hosted by President Buhari for all APC Reps-elect, the governors also met in Abuja to review the zoning, where they endorsed Senator Lawan and Hon. Gbajabiamila for Senate President and speaker.

    The meeting was attended by Governors Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Sani Bello (Niger) and Hon. Emmanuel Jime, the APC gubernatorial candidate in the just concluded general election. Party chairmen from FCT, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Plateau were also at the meeting.

  • Like in 2015, Tinubu will fail again in his bid to install NASS leadership – Saraki

    Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki on Monday responded to allegations leveled against him by a National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that he (Saraki) in collaboration with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara frustrated the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Saraki in a direct response to Tinubu’s allegations said all the allegations against him and the speaker were baseless and misleading.

    He noted that like it happened in 2015, the politicking spearheaded by Tinubu on the choice of leaders of the ninth assembly will fail.

    Saraki said this in a statement signed and released and sent to TheNewsGuru (TNG) on Thursday evening by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his
    Special Adviser (Media and Publicity).

    Read full statement below:

    Saraki to Tinubu: Despite Your Smear Campaign and Hatred for Me, You Should, At Least, Dwell on Facts

    1. Yesterday, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, released another of his now well expected quarterly vicious attack on the person of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the President of the Senate. In the statement, one could see the master of media spins getting ensnared in his own game as he struggled to extricate himself from the narratives about the contest for leadership positions in the Ninth National Assembly.

    2. Since we have taken it for granted that Tinubu’s attack on Saraki every three months (Quarterly) will come as expected, we would just have ignored his statement but for the fact that it was filled with untruth, fallacies and misrepresentations. The statement was another effort to sell a concocted narrative about the Eighth National Assembly and its leadership.

    3. First, he alleged that national budgets were delayed, distorted, padded, new projects introduced, funds for projects reduced, “to halt progress of government”. It is unfortunate that a man like Tinubu who had been in the Senate (though for 22 months and under a military regime) should not have a better understanding of how the legislature works. The passage of budgets is definitely not the exclusive responsibility of the leadership of the Senate. Most of the work is done by the various committees. These committees are headed by Senators representing different parties. It is the level of co-operation between the committees and the MDAs in the timely defence of the budget proposals and the ability of the two chambers of the National Assembly to reconcile their figures that usually determine how soon the budget is passed. To put the blame of budget delay on the Senate President or Speaker can only be mischief, or at best, playing to the gallery.

    4. It is also a known fact that any so-called delay in the passage of budgets under the Eighth National Assembly is traceable to the refusal of heads of MDAs to defend the budget proposals for their agencies on time. Last year, the President himself had to direct the Secretary to Federal Government to compel heads of MDAs to appear before the National Assembly committees following the report made to him by Dr. Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara. So, if a man like Tinubu is spreading this falsehood about budget passage and delay being deliberately orchestrated by the National Assembly leadership, one wonders whether he tries to even understand what happens in the federal legislature at all or is that the only thing that is of interest to him is “jockeying and maneuvering for influence”, as he puts it.

    5. To further make the points here clear, we invite Tinubu to look at the records of the time of submission of budgets and their passage since 2010 and he will see that with the exception of the 2013 budget which was passed on December 20, 2012, all the budgets have been passed between March and May of the same fiscal year. This should give him a better understanding of the fact that the date the Appropriations Bill is submitted to parliament and the readiness of the MDAs to defend the proposals submitted as well as timely agreement on the figures by both chambers of the National Assembly are the main determining factors in when the budget is eventually passed. So, Tinubu should see that the facts cannot support his spins and fake narrative.

    6. In all the three budgets already passed by the National Assembly, we challenge Tinubu to make specific reference to where Dr. Saraki and the leadership of the National Assembly “sought to pad with pet projects” as he alleged. Tinubu should be graceful enough to substantiate this allegation. We consider that allegation careless, irresponsible and callous. We therefore demand that he should withdraw it.

    7. However, there is need to let him know that it is the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly to review the proposals sent by the executive and where it deems necessary, it is within the power of the legislature to make changes. A good example, is the decision by the National Assembly to include in the 2018 budget the one percent of the total budget, amounting to N33 billion, as allocation for Universal Health Coverage as provided by an extant law, which had been hitherto observed in the breach. Is this what Tinubu considers as budget padding? And this was a decision which was praised across the world as a real benefit to ordinary people across the country.

    7. Tinubu also claimed that the Senate leadership “stymied APC legislative initiatives while attempting to hoist noxious reactionary and self interested legislation on the nation”. We wonder what these “legislative initiatives” are because in the four years of the Buhari administration, it has only forwarded 11 bills to the Senate, apart form the routine annual appropriations and supplementary budget proposals. Two of these bills, the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill and the National Minimum Wage Bill, have been passed. One of the bills, the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act (amendment) Bill was withdrawn by the executive following the disagreement between the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Also, another one, the National Water Resources Bill was rejected because it infringed on the rights of states to develop their water resources. The remaining seven which are the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Establishment Bill, Federal Institute of Industrial Research for the Development of Micro, Small and Large Industries Bills, the Suppression of Piracy Bill, Communications Service Tax Bill, 2015; Federal Institute of Industrial Research Bill, 2017; Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Repeal and Re-enactment Bill 2018; Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (Establishment etc) Bill, 2018- are at various stages of passage.

    8. As a leader of the Eighth National Assembly, Dr. Saraki is proud that under his watch, the Senate has surpassed the records of all previous Senate in the number of bills passed, the significance of these bills to the revival of the economy, the fight against insecurity and corruption, improvement in the provision of health service and the education sector, as well as better social service delivery to the generality of the people. The bills passed, motions moved, intervention made and frequent engagement with the people were all directed towards addressing the day to day issues that affect the lives of the ordinary Nigerians. This Senate has passed 282 bills (the highest any Senate had passed is 129 bills recorded by the 5th Senate), among which is the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, Public Procurement Act (amendment) Bill, Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, Electoral Act (amendment) Bill, Police Reform Bill, Police Trust Fund Bill, Nigeria Railways Authority Bill, Company and Allied Matters Act (amendment) Bill, Secured Credit Transactions Act, Whistleblowers Protection Bill, constitution amendment bills, Discrimination Against Persons With Disability Bill, Electronic Transaction Bill, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, North East Development Commission (NEDC) Act, Witness Protection Programme Bill, Credit Bureau Reporting Bill, Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institution Bill and Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots Bill, National Financial Intelligence Agency Act, Federal Audit Services Commission Bill, among others. It will be good to know which of these Bills Tinubu believes is “self interested” and not in the interest of Nigerians.

    9. We will like to point the attention of Mr. Tinubu to the fact that most of the bills listed above got international and national endorsement from stakeholders who lauded the Senate for the move. For example, the Financial Intelligence Database Agency (Ultrascan) commended the Senate for passing the NFIU Act which enabled the country to be re-admitted into the Egmont Group. Also, the Nigerian Police leadership have praised the Senate for passing the Police Reforms Bill and the Police Trust Fund Bill. Again, when the National Assembly in the 2018 budget gave effect to the law allowing one percent of the budget to be devoted to Primary Health Care Delivery, it got kudos from Bill Gates, Bono, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of WHO, and various national groups who believe the move would bring health care delivery to the poor people across the country. The passage of the UBEC Act (amendment) Bill was praised by Pakistani child education campaigner and youngest Nobel Laureate, Yousafzai Malala. When the PIGB was passed, APC led by Tinubu, National Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), among others, hailed the Senate for a good job. Even, the World Bank commended the National Assembly for the passage of the Company and Allied Matters Act and Secured Transactions in Movable Assets and Credit Bureau Reporting Act. Of course, all these initiatives will be ignored by a man who is still sulking because his vow in 2015 that Saraki and Dogara will never lead the National Assembly did not materialize.

    10. Tinubu and his mob have been sponsoring the narratives in the media that the emergence of the present leadership of the National Assembly was a mistake. We hereby submit that Dr. Saraki and other leaders of the National Assembly were democratically elected by their colleagues. And it is because they are the choice of their colleagues that they have remained in office for the past 46 months, despite all the plots hatched by anti-democratic, reactionary and fascist elements pretending to be ‘progressives’. In fact, Tinubu should know that if there was any mistake made on June 9, 2015, It was the miscalculation by himself and his small cabal in the APC who felt they could decide for the Senators-elect and House of Representatives Members-elect. When they failed after their grand-standing that they could always got whatever they desired, they resorted to undermining the institution of the legislature and waging a campaign of calumny against the law making body. It is now clear that those who took Senators away from the chambers contrary to the directive contained in the proclamation signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 9, 2015 are ‘mistake personified’. It is obvious that If they repeat that arrogance during the inauguration of the Ninth National Assembly, they will fail again because Nigeria is greater than them. The institution of the legislature is bigger than the over-bloated egos of these power mongers and dirty schemers.

    11. Let us repeat again that we know that a Machiavellian politician like Tinubu will forever agonize over his erroneous belief that Dr. Saraki frustrated his ambition from becoming running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari through a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2015. In his usual cavalier manner, he will stop at nothing to punish Saraki for that. We know that this attack is not about the interest of the nation or that of President Muhammadu Buhari. It is about his 2023 ambition and it is obvious in the statement as he struggled to explain this away.

    12. However, Tinubu should leave Dr. Saraki out of his schemes and manipulations towards 2023. It is obvious his arbitrary and tactless interference in the process for the emergence of the leadership of the Ninth Assembly is already falling through. The frustration from this experience might have been responsible for this needless and baseless outbursts. Our only advice for him is that if he is interested in the stability of the National Assembly, he should allow the members to elect their leadership in consultations with the party leadership. He should stop treating the legislators like hapless pupils receiving orders from a cane-wielding headmaster. A situation where he, Tinubu, is dictating to elected legislators and ordering them to either comply with his directives or get out of the party, will not augur well for the legislature in the next dispensation. History should have thought him that only a leadership that truly enjoys the support of members can help the President and his administration to achieve their objectives. It is a good development that the candidates for the various positions are already reaching out to their colleagues and forging alliances. We can see that after he realized that he has misfired, he is trying to retrace his step and in his usual devious manner, he is looking for scapegoats. We advise him to leave Dr. Saraki out of his manipulations and “jockeying and maneuvering for influence and power”, as he termed it.

    13. The Eighth Senate has done very well and will leave a good legacy. Despite all the underhand tactics to undermine the legislature by outsiders and the public posturing, members have always worked as a team on critical issues that have benefits for our people and our nation. That is why hitherto unachievable legislations like the PIGB, Police Reforms Act and other bills or amendments to existing laws were passed with ease because the members and the leadership know that they are elected as Senators of the Federal Republic and not as party representatives.

    14. Tinubu should know that while we await his attack for the next quarter, we can only advise him to stay on facts.

    Signed

    Yusuph Olaniyonu
    Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to Senate President

     

  • Ninth NASS: Ahead of Buhari’s dinner for lawmakers today

    In 2015 nobody gave the incumbent Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki a chance of emerging because he was not anointed.
    Former governors in the Senate and sheer doggedness of Saraki and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP senators made it possible.
    The 2015 scenario seems to be rearing its head as June draws close.
    The three major candidates, Senators Ahmed Lawan, Ali Ndume and Danjuma Goje are not pushovers as they are all eminently qualified to lead the 9th Senate.
    But ahead of today’s (Tuesday) dinner for lawmakers, President Muhammadu Buhari should not make a slip that could reproduce 2015 scenario.
    Lawan looks good as he pursues his ambition in the Red Chamber covering grounds that his predecessors couldn’t dare to cover.
    Sources close to his camp confirmed to TNG that “Lawan has gone round even capturing strong PDP members.
    “If you are in doubt just ask most PDP members they will tell you Lawan is the man they know.
    From all indications, so far, Sen Lawan has what it takes since he has massive support from the executive and his colleagues.
    This could be an added advantage but at the same time could turn the tide against him.
    Well and good he has been anointed but will the opposition lawmakers fold their arms and watch?
    The answer is a massive no and this is where Lawan may face a challenge that could sway the results against him if not properly managed.
    Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume is an articulate lawmaker, friendly, gregarious politician but not anointed by the hands of the powerful.
    Ndume has vowed not to step down as he intends to cross the finishing line.
    His chances not too slim but he is capable of turning the table if APC allows a slip.
    It’s virtually impossible for all APC Lawmakers to vote for Ndume but you can’t take away something from him, he is immensely popular.
    Senator Kabir Gaya is also in the race but his visibility is heavily clouded by other contestants who are field Marshalls in politics despite the fact that he was a former governor.
    Orji Uzor Kalu a first timer is not seen by his colleagues as a serious contender in the race.
    Senator Danjuma Goje has what it takes if former governors in the Red Chamber decide to support one of their own.
    Goje is popular among his peers and has the required legislative experience to pilot the Senate. His ace is his colleagues that were governors if they back him.
    In the House of Representatives Buhari must tread carefully not to point to the wrong direction.
    He is most likely to see uprising from the North Central zone that produced the highest number of votes next North West that produced Buhari as president.
    The South East too definitely will showcase its anger which could snowball into another cracked wall that denied APC of both Houses leadership in 2015.

  • UPDATED: Details of NASS N139.5b 2018 budget

    The National Assembly leadership on Friday released details of its 2018 budget.

    The release of the details of the fiscal document followed the directive of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who asked the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori, to publish the budget details with line items for the interest of Nigerians.

    Saraki also mandated the Clerk to make details of the National Assembly 2019 budget available for passage into law.

    In a letter addressed to the CNA dated 26 March, 2019, Saraki said that full details of the National Assembly budget with necessary line items should be made ready for passage as part of the National budget.

    The letter signed by the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, is entitled, “Subject: NASS budget details.”

    It read in part, “The President of the Senate has asked me to request you to please ensure that the NASS Budget Details with all the line items are ready for passage along with the National Budget when Senate resumes next week. Thank you.”

    The breakdown of the N139,500,000,000 showed that the National Assembly office was allocated N 8,576,260,225 for total personnel cost, N4,536,048,933 for total overhead cost, total recurrent cost is N13,112,309,158 while the sum of N2,276,926,754 as total capital amounting to N15,389,235,912.

    For the Senate, N1,856,510,517 was voted for personnel cost, N28,791,110,014 for overhead, N30,647,620,531 for recurrent expendiyure. N4,934,465,168 for capital vote amounting to a total of N35,582,085,699.

    For the House of Representatives, the sum of N4,923,743,127 was voted for personnel cost, N47,735,756,179 earmarked for overhead, N52,659,499,306 for recurrent expenditure, N4,765,638,487 for capital vote amounting to a total of N57,425,137,793.

    The National Assembly Service Commission was allocated N1,175,626,305 as personnel cost, N1,250,662,999, N2,426,289,304 recurrent, N309,791,962 capital budget, a total of N2,736,081,266.

    The controversial Legislative Aides have a budgetary provision of N9,517,127,214 personnel cost, N534,968,714 overhead cost, N10,052,095,928 recurrent, N150,000,000 capital, a total of N10,202,095,928.

    Curiously, the legislative aides have always been at daggers drawn with the leadership of the National Assembly over alleged unpaid allowances.

    It is not clear whether the purchase of computer for legislative aides, allocated N100 million and the another of purchase of computers also allocated N100million are parts of the breakdown of the budget.

    Senate Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was allocated

    N118,970,215 for overhead cost, N118,970,215 for recurrent amount to a total of N118,970,215.

    For the House of Representatives PAC, N142,764,258 was voted for overhead cost, N142,764,258 recurrent a total of N142,764,258.

    General services received N8,967,743,268 for overhead cost,

    N8,967,743,268 for recurrent, N3,416,928,811 capital vote, a total of N12,384,672,079.

    National Assembly Legislative Institute got N433,771,911 as personnel cost, N1,223,988,826 as overhead cost, N1,657,760,737 recurrent cost, N2,716,052,859 as capital vote

    Amounting to a total of N4,373,813,596.

    Service Wide Vote received N1,145,143,254.

    Total allocation

    N26,483,039,299 as personnel cost, N93,302,013,406 as overhead cost, N119,785,052,705 recurrent, N18,569,804,041 capital vote amounting to a grand total of N139,500,000,000 as the National Assembly 2018 budget.

    Other break down of the budget showed that furniture and fittings received N214.55m; photocopying machine and other office equipment N368.674m, health and medical equipment N191.501, purchase of power generating sets and upgrade of power supply equipment—, Purchase of learning and teaching aid equipment N5million; purchase of library books and equipment N60million; purchase of motor vehicles N657.394 million, purchase of security equipment N440 million; rehabilitation/ repair of office buildings N232.805 million

  • Breaking: Nigerians react as NASS releases ‘details’ of its 2018 budget

    The National Assembly (NASS) has published details of its 2018 budget, fulfilling the promise of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Saraki had promised details of NASS 2018/19 budgets would be made public.

    He made the promise at a dialogue session with BudgIT on appropriation process and constituency projects, while vowing that #OpenNASS is now a permanent policy.

    According to NASS, publishing details of the 2018 budget is in accordance with the commitment of the leadership of the 8th @NASSNigeria to accountability and transparency.

    SEE details of the NASS 2018 budget details below

    NASS 2018 budget details
    NASS 2018 budget details

    However, while the NASS has been commended for publishing the budget details, the budget has been criticised as incomplete.

    “Please kindly note Bukola Saraki that we appreciate this, but it is incomplete. I guess it must be an error of omission.

    “Kindly do the needful and send us a real budget with all the figures to the note to the budget clearly stated,” Abdulhakeem Shittu stated on Twitter.

    A Twitter user by the handle @gambuskay queried, “Is this what you people tag ‘detail of NASS budget’?”

    He added, “I am not sure we are ready in this country. Shame on you all that think Nigerians are fools.

    “Detail budget should tell us how much each member takes as salary, allowances, local or int’l training etc”.

    Similar reactions have also greeted the budget details released by the NASS.

    SEE tweets below

    https://twitter.com/tirimisiyu2013/status/1116687514100801539?s=19

     

  • Protesters block Federal Secretariat, NASS as Shiites mark third year anniversary of Zaria killings

    Protesters block Federal Secretariat, NASS as Shiites mark third year anniversary of Zaria killings

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria otherwise known as Shittes on Thursday stormed the Federal Secretariat Complex, the National Assembly Complex and the main road leading to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa Abuja protesting the immediate release of their leader Sheik Ibrahim Elzakzaky.
    The group protesters numbering over two thousand with uniforms and placards with various inscriptions said that they are protesting the release of the their leader Sheik Ibrahim Elzakzaky as well as marking the third anniversary of the death of over 1200 members of the sect in the hands of military personnel at Zaria Kaduna State three years ago.
    Some of the placards borne by the protesters read thus: “Buhari wants to kill Elzakzaky in detention facility, Today marks three years anniversary of the annihilation of peaceful protesters in Zaria by the military, We won’t be cowed, Buhari is a coward among other boldly written inscriptions.
    The group marched from the Unity Fountain to the Eagles Square and made a detour at the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation before heading towards the Aso Rock Presidential Villa chanting different songs in bewilderment
    They called for the immediate release of the Islamic cleric and challenged the military and other security agents to only focus on their professional duties as security officers of the nation instead of dabbling into issues that are purely civil in nature.
    Moreover, the entrance to the nation’s apex legislature-the National Assembly was also today barricaded by security agents notably men of the Nigeria Police as protesters stormed the legislative institution demanding the intervention of the parliament on the crisis at Kuchigoro a sub-urban settlement of Abuja the nation’s capital from the military who they said have turned to land grabbers.
    Spokesman of the group Mr Moses Tanko who addressed journalists on the matter said that the military personnel drafted to ensure security of lives in the area have turned themselves into a menace due to their penchant for land grabbing.
    He alleged that they had killed no less than 12 persons including pregnant women and children in the past two days as they launched an unmitigated onslaught on the residents of the area with their weapons.
    Meanwhile, a scheduled security meeting of some of the top echelon of the Nigeria Police Force with the Inspector-General of Police IGP Mohammed Adamu fixed for 10:00 am on Thursday was rescheduled due to the protests at the Federal Secretariat and National Assembly.
    A contingent of senior Police personnel were drafted to the affected areas immediately to ensure the maintenance of peace and order in these areas.
  • Buhari accuses NASS of inflating debt figures for states

    Buhari accuses NASS of inflating debt figures for states

    President Muhammadu Buhari for the second time has said the National Assembly inflated the debt figures to be repaid by the federal government to some states.

    He asked the lawmakers to send details of the amounts they approved for Delta and Taraba States.

    He said he would go ahead to pay the amount earlier approved by the federal executive council and not the National Assembly figure.

    The debt repayment in promissory notes is for projects executed on behalf of the federal government by various state governments.

    A promissory note is a debt instrument which one party promises in writing to pay a determinate sum of money to the other, either at a fixed or determinable future time, under specific terms.

    His request was communicated via a letter which was read out by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday.

    In the letter, Mr Buhari pointed out that the total amount approved by the National Assembly to Delta and Taraba states was higher than the amount approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    He also said the National Assembly of not approving reimbursement to Bauchi and Kogi states after FEC approved reimbursements for them.

    Part of the letter read, “I wish to inform the Senate that we have received the approval of the National Assembly via letter referenced NASS/CNA/106/volume11/004 dated 29th January 2019 for refunds to Delta and Taraba states through the issuance of a promissory note for projects executed on behalf of the federal government.

    “In view of the approval of the National Assembly, the following was observed:

    1. While the Federal Executive Council approved the total sum of N78 billion (78,601,631,430.16), as reimbursement to Delta and Taraba state governments, national assembly approved N90 billion (90,236,461,031.36) which is higher than the amount approved by the Federal Executive Council.

    2. The national assembly did not approve any reimbursement to Bauchi and Kogi states governments whereas the Federal Executive Council approved reimbursement for them.”

    The president reminded the lawmakers of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007 which empowers the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to approve contracts – as he said the amounts presented to the National Assembly were duly certified for reimbursement by the Bureau before they were approved by FEC.

    “Since the Bureau of Public Procurement is charged with the responsibility of approving contractual sums when there is a need for compliance with the Public Procurement Act 2007, I wish to request that you forward to us details relating to the amount approved by the national assembly for Delta and Taraba states in essence of what certified by the Bureau of Public Procurement for necessary certification approval.

    “Meanwhile, the federal government shall proceed with the implementation by reimbursing the amount approved by the federal executive council. Furthermore, I wish to suggest that you review their reimbursement in favour of Bauchi and Kogi state governments while looking forward to timely consideration of the request,” he said.

    This is the second time the president will accuse the National Assembly of inflating debts to be repaid to states.

    He had in December 2018 accused the National Assembly of approving N488 billion as reimbursement to the state governments while FEC approved 487 billion.

    He had also accused the lawmakers of approving reimbursements to 21 states after FEC approved reimbursements for 25 states.

  • Hamonise minimum wage for quick assent – TUC tells NASS

    Mr Bobboi Kaigama, the President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), on Monday called for quick hamonisation of the N30,000 national minimum wage bill to enable President Muhammadu Buhari assent to it.

    Kaigama spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on the implementation of the new minimum wage.

    NAN reports that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress had urged the President to sign and implement the new wage before the end of the 8th National Assembly.

    The TUC president said that the House of Representatives and the Senate needed to harmonise the agreed sum and pass it to the President for his assent.

    ”The N30,000 figure is one, but the aspect of law might not be the same. There is the need to come together and harmonise, produce a clean copy and forward to Buhari to sign.

    ”If that is not done as soon as possible, it will be difficult for the President to sign and implement the agreed national minimum wage.

    ”The day Buhari signs the new minimum wage bill, it becomes a law effective from that day,” he said.

    The labour chief said that implementation would be seamless since the Federal Government had said that it included its provision in the budget, but might take a while in some states that had not included it in their budget.

    He urged the private sector not to delay its implementation as soon as the bill is enacted into law.

    The TUC president advised the government to look into the issues of punishment for minimum wage defaulters and frequent review of the process.

    He also said that Value Added Tax should not be tied to the implementation of the new wage, particularly in the public sector.

    ”VAT is paid by consumers; it is paid by the lower class, while the business conglomerates and corporate organisations don’t pay appropriate tax.

    ”It is unfair to tell workers who pays appropriate tax that you will tie VAT to minimum wage. The organised labour disagrees with the government,” he said.

    Kaigama said that labour would resist any plan to fund the new minimum wage through increase in VAT.

  • JUST IN: Top INEC officials meet to review 2019 presidential, NASS elections

    JUST IN: Top INEC officials meet to review 2019 presidential, NASS elections

    The management team of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) are locked in a meeting to review last Saturday presidential and National Assembly polls.

    In his opening remarks, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said that the processes and procedures deployed will be reviewed in a bit to make amends where necessary.

    He also noted that the meeting will help to finalise arrangements for the forthcoming governorship elections in 29 states of the federation and the council election in FCT.

    Details shortly….