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Tag: Reps

  • Withdraw anti-riot policemen from Jigawa villages, Reps order IG

    Withdraw anti-riot policemen from Jigawa villages, Reps order IG

    The House of Representatives, on Thursday, called on the acting Inspector General of Police (I-G), Mohammed Adamu, to withdraw the contingent of anti-riot policemen from Gagarawa farmlands and some villages in Jigawa.

    This followed a motion under matters of urgent public importance by Rep Muhammed Zoro at plenary presided over by Speaker Yakubu Dogara in Abuja.

    Zoro, who represents Gumei/Gagarawa/Mai Gatari/Sule/Tankarkar Federal Constituency, said the call became necessary in order to forestall unnecessary killings or maiming of innocent lives and destruction of property.

    According to him, this will also put a stop to the harassment and intimidation of my constituents.

    “The house is concerned by the renewed harassment, intimidation and detention of helpless peasant farmers by a contingent of gun-wielding, anti-riot (mobile) policemen deployed to Gayawar Malam, Garin Chiroma, Kore Sabuwa, Dan Nani and other villages and farmlands at the behest of a Chinese company- Northern Agri-Business ltd.

    “The house is aware that the act of massive land-grabbing under the guise of developmental projects has been a principal source of internal displacement everywhere.

    “This is prohibited by both the United Nations Guiding Principles Against Displacement and the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) both of which Nigeria is signatory to.

    “The house is conscious of the fact that no Nigerian will be allowed to dispossess Chinese of their own land in China.

    “Therefore, as a patriotic Nigerian citizen and a legislator, it is part of my constitutional responsibilities to defend the interest of my country and its people even at the expense of threats to my life,” he said.

    According to him, the Lee Group of Companies of which Northern Agri-Business Ltd., is a member has so far grabbed no less than 100, 000 hectares of farmlands in its predatory activities in Jigawa alone and most of which has only been fenced in the last 8 years without utilisation by Nigerians or the Chinese invaders.

    Zoro alleged that the Chinese company might have disposed Nigerians of an estimated 500, 000 hectares worth of farmlands according to private investigations into its unacceptable activities in Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi and Niger states.

    “The house is aggrieved that the affected peasant farmers have not been given suitable and alternative farmlands, or were forced to receive paltry compensation as low as N3, 000, or swindled by local collaborators and state authorities,” he said.

    When the Speaker, put the motion on voice vote, the members unanimously supported it.

    The house, therefore, urged the I-G to render the police report which investigated complaints of bribery and corruption associated with the compensation exercise earlier conducted by state and local authorities.

    It also invited the Board and Management of Lee Group to appear before the ad hoc committee of the house in order to unravel the truth about the matter.

    The house called on the ICPC and the EFCC to investigate the allegations of massive bribery, corruption and money laundering leveled against local, state and federal collaborators in the case.

  • Address killings within 48 hrs, Reps tell Buhari

    Address killings within 48 hrs, Reps tell Buhari

    Disturbed by the resurgence of killings by alleged herdsmen and bandits across the country, the House of Representatives has mandated President Muhamnadu Buhari to address the House and the nation within 48 hours.

    This followed a motion under matters of public importance by Rep Mark Gbillah (PDP-Benue) at Thursday plenary presided over by Speaker Yakubu Dogara in Abuja.

    Moving the motion, Gbillah, who represents Gwer-East/Gwer-West Federal Constituency, said the House was concerned by I creasing attacks by ”killer herdsmen and alleged bandits in communities in Benue, Kaduna, Zamfara and other states from Jan. till date.”

    He noted that this had resulted in the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and the displacement of thousands of Nigerians who had fled their homes and means of livelihood for fear of losing their lives.

    ”The House is alarmed at the brazen nature of the attacks by the herdsmen and alleged bandits who attack these communities with impunity brazenly clad in military fatigues and audibly communicating with each other in Fulani as reported by eyewitness accounts from the recent attacks in Kaduna.

    ”Obviously emboldened by the inability of the Nigerian armed forces to curb their activities, these killers have gradually progressed from attacking remote villages at night to sacking whole towns in brood daylight displacing residents and occupying affected communities,” he said.

    According to him, the House is disappointed at the reactive responses of the Nigerian armed forces to these attacks under this administration and their inability to proactively attack the publicly known locations of these herdsmen or establish a permanent base at restive locations in line with globally recognised rules of engagement.

    The lawmaker also expressed worry over the inability of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to fulfil its statutory mandate of providing relief materials and rehabilitation to hopeless displaced persons and their affected communities.

    He stressed that the House could no longer condone the continuous killing of innocent Nigerians with impunity despite the plethora of motions and resolutions passed on the floor of the House and the Senate.

    ”We have no other option than to directly engage the President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces who has primary responsibility for the security and welfare of every Nigerian citizens,” Gbillah stated.

    When the motion was put on a voice vote by the Speaker, Dogara, the whole members unanimously supported it.

    The lawmakers, however, resolved that President Buhari should ”address the House and the nation within 48 hours on: his inability and the inability of his administration since inception to declare the killer herdsmen as terrorists to enable commensurate action against them by the armed forced.

    ”The inability of the armed forces under his watch to stop the recurring death of scores of innocent Nigerians annually from systematic attacks by killer herdsmen and alleged bandits and the gradual occupation of affected communities by these herdsmen despite countless assurances and statements by him promising to stop the attacks.

    ”His selective and ineffective responses to the killing of Nigerians by herdsmen especially when they occur in certain parts of the country like Benue.

    ”The immediate measures he intends to employ as the C-In-C to provide the armed forces, including the police with the required resources (equipment, welfare, etc) to confront and dislodge the killer herdsmen from their hideouts.

    ”The measures he intends to employ to establish permanent presence in immediate proximity to affected communities and provide a timeline within which these attacks will be curtailed so Nigerians can return to their ancestral homes and means of livelihood, among others.”

    The House resolved that if the president failed to respond to aforementioned requests within 48 hours, he and his administration would be seen as incapable of permanently curtailing the incessant killing of innocent Nigerians by killer herdsmen and the occupation of their land.

    It added that the government would be termed to have failed in its primary constitutional responsibility of ensuring the security and welfare of the citizens of Nigeria.

    The House, therefore, constituted an ad hoc committee to interface with the Presidency and engaged the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, service Chiefs, among others, in a public hearing to determine permanent solutions to the menace.

  • 2019 Budget: Reps Pass 2019-2021 MTEF, FSP

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the 2019-2021 Medium Term Expenditure Framework MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the fiscal year ending 31st December 2019.
    This followed the adoption of the report of its joint Committees on Finance, Appropriations, Aids, Loans and Debt Management, Legislative Budget and Research and National Planning and Economic Development on the MTEF and FSP documents.
    Chairman of the House Committee on Finance Hon. Babangida Ibrahim while debating on it said that the House should adopt the recommendations of the joint Committees on the the MTEF so that the 2019 Budget of the Federal Government can be expeditiously considered and passed into law by the National Assembly.
    Among others, the Committee recommended as follows: (1) that the Federal Government adopts 2.3 million barrels of crude oil production as daily production target.
    (2) That the gorvernment adopts USD 60 as benchmark for crude oil in the 2109 fiscal year.
    (3) That it also adopts N305 to USD1 as official exchange rate for the fiscal year 2019.
    (4) That the gorvernment adopts 1.6 trillion as new borrowing to fund Budget deficit.
    (5) That the government increases the tempo of collectable revenues in all its ministries, departments and agencies MDAs with a view to reducing Budget deficit.
    It would be recalled that the House on Tuesday April 10, 2019 adopted the MTEF and FSP documents earlier submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.
    The House presided by the Speaker Hon. Yakubu Dogara thereafter mandated the relevant House Committees to fine tune the document and report to the House for more inputs.
  • ICPC vows to probe Senators, Reps who fail to execute constituency projects

    ICPC vows to probe Senators, Reps who fail to execute constituency projects

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Tuesday said senators and members of the House of Representatives who failed to execute constituency projects will be prosecuted.

    Also, all companies engaged for the failed or abandoned projects will face trial.

    But the commission, however, opposed to plea bargain by corrupt elements because the nation’s laws allow it.

    Over N1trillion has been released by the Federal Government for constituency projects since 1999. The funds include the N200 billion by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2017.

    More than 2,345 senators and representatives have benefitted from constituency projects since 1999.

    About 37 per cent to 40 per cent of the projects have either been completed or ongoing in the last 20 years.

    Many senators and representatives were found to have diverted the funds, using their personal companies. Some abandoned the projects.

    Of the 2,516 projects tracked by BudgIT Nigeria between 2015 and 2017, 918 were not done, 395 are ongoing and 214 cannot be located.

    The Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, yesterday said the anti-graft commission had demanded a list of all constituency projects and presented budgets to make senators and representatives account for the funds they got.

    Owasanoye, who spoke at the launch of Constituency Projects Tracking Group (CPTG), said ICPC will also publish the names of those behind the project failures.

    The tracking will cover outgoing senators and Representatives in the 8th National Assembly.

    He said ICPC was collaborating with the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) to evaluate whether or not the projects executed were commensurate with the budgetary allocations.

    The ICPC chairman said: “We are mindful of the fact that this is a Herculean task as constituency projects dot the entire landscape but we will overcome the challenges one way or another.

    “Where contractors and or politically-exposed persons have diverted funds for projects, we will pursue them to either complete the projects as initiated, return the funds or face prosecution.

    “Affected companies and their directors will also be prosecuted. We also hope to publish the names of those behind the project failures for possible social sanctions in their communities.”

    Owasanoye regretted that constituency projects had been turned into avenues of corruption.

    He added: “Constituency projects are intended for developmental projects, such as provision of water, rural electrification, rural clinics, schools, community centres and bursary for indigent students.

    “In the light of annual budgetary allocations to constituency projects and based on actual releases by the government, it is firmly believed that the impact of constituency projects on the lives of ordinary Nigerians ought to be more visible.

    “Regrettably, available statistics from open sources paint a bleak picture of the level of performance or delivery of constituency projects.

    “Over the years, constituency projects have become enmeshed in controversy among non-state actors, the promoters of the projects and the communities that are supposed to benefit from the projects.

    “The concern is that in Nigeria, rather than address the needs of constituents; many constituency projects have become avenues of corruption.”

    Owasanoye gave some three-year statistics which revealed how senators and Representatives have paid lip service to constituency projects.

    He said: “The level of implementation of constituency projects in 16 focus states for 2015 is revealing. Out of 436 constituency projects for the year that were tracked, 145 were completed, 77 ongoing while 211 were not executed at all.

    “For 2016, out of a total of 852 constituency projects in 20 states in the 2016 Budget that were tracked, 350 were completed, 118 were ongoing, 41 locations not specified in the budget and 343 not done or performed.

    “In 2017, a total of 1,228 constituency projects in the budget were tracked for performance as at June 2018. Out of these, 478 were completed, 173 in unspecified location, 200 ongoing, 13 abandoned and 364 not started. The level of performance of constituency projects is therefore disputable.”

    The ICPC chairman unfolded plans to collaborate with the media and Civil Society Organisations to fight corruption.

    But he warned against reckless whistleblowing and declared that the commission will deal with anyone who misleads it.

    He said: “We hope to have a robust relationship with the media and civil society. Not just in Constituency Project Monitoring and role of CSOs and media as partners in giving credible intelligence and evidence of corruption rather than generalised accusations or allegations of wrongdoing but specifics that help to make investigation seamless.

    “We also want to caution CSOs to avoid misleading ICPC with intelligence that have no foundation in the name of whistleblowing. We have had one or two experiences of reckless and irresponsible allegations of wrongdoing against prominent citizens provided by CSOs.

    “But for the cautious approach of the commission, the outcomes would have been embarrassing. We want to say loud and clear that there will be dire consequences in accordance with the law for anyone that misleads the commission.”

  • Factors that may decide who emerges winner of 9th speakership race

    The battle for speakership of the ninth House of Representative is intensifying and may undoubtedly take an unexpected dimension as the number of aspirants rises to 18, with each of them pushing their strategies, resources and sentiments to claim the exalted position office [Speaker] , which is the third in line of presidential succession, after the President of the Senate and Vice President.

    In accordance to the norms, a speaker in Nigeria is chosen in an indirect election conducted within the House of Representatives.

    Specifically, the Standing Orders of the House, Order 4 states that ‘A member-elect, addressing the Clerk shall propose another member-elect with legislative experience as member of National Assembly to the House to be Speaker and shall move that such member-elect do take the chair as Speaker of the House of Representatives’.

    However, there are more critical political permutations like geopolitical zoning, religious leaning among others which underplay the essence of ‘Order 4’ in the making of a speaker for the House.

    In this report, TheNewsGuru examines the chances of the candidates in the unfolding political development.

    Meet the candidates:

    The speakership aspirants according to feelers in the House include the incumbent Speaker, Yakubu Dogara; Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was the preferred candidate of the APC in 2015; the immediate past Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Reps) and former Majority Leader, Kawu Sumaila (APC, Kano); and the Deputy Majority Leader, Ahmed Wase (APC, Plateau).

     

    Another aspirant is the leader of the North-East caucus, Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno), a ranking member who has just been re-elected for the fifth term just as Gbajabiamila. In 2015, the APC had chosen him to be a deputy speaker.

     

    Also on the list is Olusegun Odebunmi from Oyo State, the only APC member to become Gbajabiamila’s opponent in the South-West; and the Chairman, Committee on Aviation, Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia), the only female contestant who is coming to the House for the fourth term.

     

    The Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazak Namdas (Adamawa), who is in the camp of the current Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, is also in the race.

     

    There is also a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khajidat Bukar-Ibrahim (APC, Yobe), who had earlier served three terms in the House before becoming minister and has been re-elected for a fourth term.

     

    Also on the list is Yakub Buba (Adamawa) who is said to be the only Christian member from North-East. In 2015, Buba had backed Gbajabiamila and has since been in the camp of the Majority Leader.

     

    Others are the Chief Whip, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (Kano); Chairman, Committee on NIMASA, Umar Bago (Niger); Chairman, Committee on Finance, Babangida Ibrahim-Mahuta (Katsina); Chairman, Committee on Tertiary Education and Services, Mr Suleiman Aminu (Kano); Abubakar Lado (Niger); and Muhammed Kazaure (Jigawa).

     

    North Central Brief
    1. Mohammed Bago [APC], Niger State
    		 Present Chairman Reps Committee on Maritime. He is a second timer.
    2. John Dyegh [APC] Benue State A vibrant lawmaker on the floor of the House and a force to reckon with in North Central affairs.
    3. Idris Wase [APC] Plateau State Deputy leader of the House that enjoys a great deal of comradeship with his colleagues.
    4. Abubakar Lado, [APC] Niger state One of the youngest lawmaker in the 8th assembly and a one time APC national youth leader.

     
    South East Brief
    5. Rep Nkiruka Onyejeocha, APC, Abia, She is the only visible contender in South East and the only female contestant. She is vibrant on the floor of the House and a third
    6. Chike Okafor from Imo state Okafor is said to have quietly joined the race
    South West Brief
    7. Femi Gbajabiamila [APC] Lagos One of the leading contenders, he is the incumbent leader of the 8th assembly
    8.Olusegun Odebunmi [APC] Oyo An APC-lawmaker elect from Oyo
    North West Brief
    9. Garba Datti, [ APC] Kaduna A third timer lawmaker with strong affinity with President Muhammadu Buhari
    10. Ado Doguwa [APC] Kano A fifth timer and the whip of the House.
    11. Babangida Ibrahim [APC] Katsina THird timer and present Chairman House Committee on Finance
    12. Sumaila Kawu [APC] Kano Third timer. He was the Deputy Minority leader in the 7th Assembly
    13. Sulaiman Aminu [APC] Kano A former union leader and present Chairman Reps Committee on Education
    North East Brief
    14. Yakubu Dogara [PDP], Bauchi He is the incumbent Speaker of the 8th Assembly.
    15. Tahir Monguno [APC] Borno A third timer and present Chairman, Reps. committee on Agriculture
    16. Abdulrazaq Namdas [APC] Adamawa He was first among the lawmakers to open a campaign secretariat.
    17. Yusuf Buba Yakub [APC] Adamawa A second timer.
    18. Khajidat Bukar-Ibrahim (APC) Yobe She had served three terms in the House before becoming minister and has been re-elected for a fourth term

     

    Factors that will determine who emerges winner of Reps speakership:

     

    • Zoning Impact:

     

    There are six geopolitical zones in the country and it is customary for political parties to share offices in a reflective manner. The President is from the North-West and Vice President, South-West. Meanwhile, the ruling party has zoned the Senate Presidency to North-East. This means that three zones have been represented leaving the South-East, North-Central and South-South with nothing.

    To many analysts, it would be politically balanced to zone the remaining offices of Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker among the three zones. This informs why Onyejiocha, a fourth time parliamentarian from Abia, is in the race for Speaker as well as contributes to the high numbers of contenders coming from the north-Central.

    1. North Central debacle:

    Lawmakers from the North-Central states of Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Niger, Kwara and Nassarawa, led by Hon. Mark Gbilah, from Benue, are putting up a good debate why the APC leadership should give them a chance to get the speakership of the 9th assembly.

    One the points advanced by the North-central lawmakers is ‘federal character’ – they hold that the position of the speakership should be zoned to the North Central, since the North-West has Mr President, the South-West has the Vice President and the Senate President has been zoned to the North-East.

    If APC is to go by popular support and equitable zoning formula, the 9th speakership will almost seem a perfect hard-earned right of the north-central.

    The senate presidency was zoned to the North-East, being the zone that contributed the highest number of votes after the North-West, as such the proponents in this line of though believe the speakership position will naturally go to the next in line – the North-Central zone – which produced the second largest votes after the North-East (2,465,599).

    1. 2019 Presidential votes

    There is also an onging pressure mounted on the APC leadership by political analysts and lobbyists to compensate North Central for delivering the third largest votes to the second-term election of President Buhari on February 23.

    Despite the stiff opposition against the APC in the North Central, the region delivered five out of six states in our zone – Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau and Niger with Benue as the exception. The presidential results as put forward by the pro-North Central campaigners puts the region ahead Gbajabiamila’s South West, where Buhari performed below the expectation of the party.

    Similarly, South/South and South East may also not get the deserved recognition if this factor is taken seriously as the presidential result in the said regions were woeful.

    1. The Dogara/PDP factor:

    There are strong indications that the incumbent Speaker of the 8th Assembly, Yakubu Dogara is in the speakership race of the ninth assembly, and his stature in the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, puts him at a good edge of getting a second chance or playing a king maker.

    A source close to Dogara noted that the lawmaker enjoys a great support of the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2019, Atiku Abubakar.

    1. Muslim/Muslim or Muslim Christian tickets:

    The search for the ninth Senate President seems to have been settled with the All Progressives Congress, APC, announcing the current Majority Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, from Yobe State, as its choice – a decision that may hinder the chances of the party ceding the speakership position to a Muslim.

    One of the fears the aforesaid decision has raised is that of a Muslim/Muslim ticket spearheading the two hallowed chambers.

    Already, there had been ongoing agitations that key positions in the country are currently occupied by Muslims, some of which include: the Nigerian President;Senate President, Army; Nigerian Customs; Department of State Security Services; the Police; Immigration service; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB); office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria; National Intelligence Agency (NIA) amongst others.

    Meanwhile, recall that in the 6th, 7th and 8th assemblies there was a balance as Dimeji Bankole paired David Mark, the 7th was Aminu Tambuwal and David Mark and the outgoing 8th Assembly is Yakubu Dogara and Dr Bukola Saraki and there’s nothing like a Muslim/Muslim arrangement.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Dogara mourns as another reps member dies in Abuja

    A former Speaker of Kebbi State House of Assembly, Mohammed Dantani, has died.

    Dantani reportedly died in Abuja after a protracted illness.

    Dantani was also a member representing Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency of Kebbi State in the House of Representatives.

    According to his biography on the National Assembly website, Dantani was Member, House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007 and Speaker, Kebbi State House of Assembly between 2007 to 2015.

    In a statement issued on Friday, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, expressed sadness over the death, saying he received with sadness the news of the death of his colleague who died in Abuja after a protracted illness.

    The Speaker described the late lawmaker as a man of peace, a fine gentleman and a great parliamentarian who contributed to the growth of the legislature as a Speaker of Kebbi State House of Assembly and later, as a member of the House of Representatives.

    “As a lawmaker and public servant, late Dantani impacted positively on the lives of many through his robust contributions in the chambers, his constituency outreach services and support to the less privileged members of the society.

    “The House has indeed lost a man of peace, a gentleman par excellence who spent greater part of his life in the service of democracy.

    “On behalf of the leadership and the entire members of the House of Representatives, I wish to extend our deepest condolences to the immediate family of the deceased, his constituents, the government and people of Kebbi state over this great loss.

    “May his gentle soul Rest In Peace,” Dogara said.

  • Reps rattle SON DG over low-remittances, incoherent budget

    Reps rattle SON DG over low-remittances, incoherent budget

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    The House of Representatives Committee on Industry on Wednesday rattled the Director- General (DG), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Mr Osita Aboloma over what it described incoherent budget and low remittances of revenue to the federation account expected of all revenue generating agencies of government.
    Chairman and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Industry Mr. Abubakar Husaini Moriki at a budget defence session with the DG and heads of departments of the agency had noted that they had failed to remit revenues to the federal government coffers in the past two years as required by law.
    The lawmakers further observed that the N N5.918 billion budget presented to them for consideration do not have details of staff remuneration, promotion, dismissal and retirement in all the states of the federation and FCT.
    The Committee therefore had requested that the agency make available to it all the details of staff, promotion, expected remuneration and other expenditure in templates for perusal.
    The DG in his presentation at the budget session however told the committee that SON effectively utilized its 2018 budget for infrastructural expansion, training and sensitization of their workforce.
    He told the lawmakers that most of the money they are asking for is for the completion of all ongoing projects in the agency notably construction of office complex in Akwa-Ibom, Abia and Cross Rivers State.
    While presenting to the committee a budget estimate of N5.918 billion for consideration and approval, he said that ther are pending recruitment and training to be done by the agency that would be funded from the budget.
    He also hinted that there are chemical process laboratories to be built in Asaba Delta State, Dutse in Jigawa and Calabar in Cross-River States.
    The House Committee nonetheless insisted that that the budget estimate is not incoherent as there is a difference of N5,000000 between the 2018 and 2019 budget estimates of the agency as presented.

  • Reps decry underfunding of police, seek quick passage of Police Trust Fund Bill

    The House Of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs says it is worrisome that the Nigerian Police Force is not well-funded despite the security challenges the nation is faced with.

    Members of the committee who condemned the act, said it was high time that the Police Trust Fund Bill currently before the Senate was passed and transmitted for presidential assent.

    They spoke on Tuesday when the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, appeared before the committee for the 2019 Budget defence in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Reports that in 2018 fiscal year, N324, 220, 893, 212 billion was budgeted for the police.

    NAN reports that on capital budget for the year, N25, 197, 675, 020. 00 billion was appropriated for the security agency while only N5, 019, 767, 502.47 which was 19.92 per cent was released.

    However, N365, 239, 320, 000.45 billion was appropriated for the police in the 2019 Budget presented in Nov. 2018 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Speaking, Rep Johnson Agbonayinma said he was disappointed at the way the police was being handled in the area of budget.

    “And we expect the police to protect lives and property, we expect them to do everything humanly possible to combat the various security challenges in the country, we expect them to perform miracle.

    ”Miracle doesn’t just happen. There is nothing like miracle if you don’t work for it,” Agbonayinma said.

    He said it was disheartening that in spite of the enormous work of the police, the security outfit battled with insufficient funding.

    He called on the Federal Government to do the needful to enhance its performance.

    Rep Ezenwa Onyewuchi, who said the police had the sympathy of the parliament because it worked under very excruciating conditions, commended the inspector-general and his officers and urged them to continue to be diligent in the face of the scarce resources.

    He said a Police Development Bill which he sponsored some years ago, if passed, would have solved half of the problem of the police.

    ”Since security is everybody’s business,the private sector should also be encouraged to come into the security sector, “he said.

    On his part, Rep Oni Olamide noted that presently the police had three hundred and one thousand personnel and expressed displeasure that the force was being underfunded.

    Olamide, who sponsored the Police Trust Fund Bill as part of the efforts to tackle inadequate budgets for the police, lamented that though the House had passed the bill, it was still awaiting the Senate’s passage.

    He said if the bill scaled Senate’s screening, and eventually signed into law by President Buhari, it would go a long way in ameliorating the challenges of funding the police.

    Corroborating Olamide’s remark, the Chairman, House Committee on Police Affairs, Rep Abubakar Garba, said it was disheartening that the Senate had not concurred the bill.

    He promised that members of the committee would liaise with the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to accelerate the quick passage of the bill before the end of the 8th assembly.

    Responding, the inspector-general who gave the breakdown of his office budget, thanked the lawmakers for their support toward ensuring a better policing of the country.

    According to him, if the police is getting the needed support, most of the security challenges confronting Nigeria today would have been solved.

  • Alleged Forgery: Reps Cttee gives FBN, CBN, AGIS 7-days to avail all documents

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja.
    The alleged forgery controversy between First Bank and Whiteplain British school Abuja over N630 million loan became more controversial at the maiden sitting of the Public Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives, following the inability of the parties to make convincing presentations to the panel.
    While the House committee was at loss by contradictions from both the defendants and petitioners, following which it gave a 7- day ultimatum to the parties to provide every detailed document involving the transaction, it formally directed the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,to begin an independent probe of the allegations levelled against First Bank , since it plays a regulatory role over commercial banks in the country.
    Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee of the House Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta on Thursday said at the inaugural meeting, that the probe panel was all out to deliver justice and not to rewrite or rearward judgements already made by the various courts of competent jurisdiction on the matter before it
    Abonta spoke on the sidelines of the position of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN whose representative at the investigative hearing, said the apex bank could not wade into the matter because it would be subjudiced if they did, since the dispute was already before the courts.
    “Our outcomes may prejudice the court case: if it were First bank, we will investigate, but when it is the petitioner that went to court, it is very inappropriate for us to investigate” the CBN argued
    The apex bank noted that it could delve into the matter only if the courts directs it to, but in this case,no, until probably it is subpoenaed .
    But again the panel disagreed with the CBN on the grounds that the current disputes between first bank and Whiteplain British school had far reaching implications on the general economy and as such central bank needed to intervene to forestall future occurrences and save the economy.
    Nonetheless while CBN agreed to look into the matter and produce an independent opinion to the House committee, accusation and counter accusations from both the petitioner, Dr Nwufoh, First bank and France Lee, the original owners of the land in which the British school in dispute was built, took the entire proceedings.
    Whereas, Mrs Francess Ibeh of France Lee denied ever selling the land to First bank but wondered how her signature and that of her son who has been out of the country for over twenty years appeared on a mortgage document upon which the bank wants to take over the British white plain school.
    “I didn’t sell a land to First Bank. First bank forged my signature and that of my son over the land” she said
    She said the land was sold to Dr Nwufoh of Legacy academy, adding that ” I didn’t sign the tripartite agreement. They signed my signature and that of my son who has been out of Nigeria for over 22years’
    In his submission, the petitioner told the committee that he did bought a land from France Lee upon which a certificate of occupancy,C-of-O was obtained .
    The petitioner Dr Nwufoh,further explained that he only signed a two party agreement with first bank and not a tripartite negotiation, wondering how a land he bought in 2008 and in 2014, ” they said the person who i bought the land from surteied me”
    He said ” They forged documents in a land i bought in 2008 and in 2014, they said the person who i bought the land surteied me”
    But the First Bank officials , in their various submissions, maintained that every transaction was legal and followed due process with all the stakeholders being carried along
    They denied forging documents as it involved the mortgage and loan facility given to the management of the British school, noting that every of their actions so far, followed due legal process and in compliance with the two judgements given by two separate courts
    But in ruling, the Committee helsman said, ‘ I want all the documents . I don’t want to sit on an appeal or a court ruling: if a lawyer forged documents, we will see to it that he is derobed”
    He however slammed AGIS for not doing due diligence on the land in dispute and therefore directed it to within three days provide it with the titles of the land.
    Abonta demanded for an independent opinion as regulator on the matter from CBN. From first bank, the panel wants the name of the lawyer involved in the mortgage agreement, as well as perfected the land titles, the name of the first bank manager in charge of the transaction and all necessary documents .
    The panel noted that the documents will assist in determining what went wrong, even as the committee reiterated that it was not competing with the court judgements on the matter
    It would be recalled that in a petition dated November 26, 2018 and signed by Whiteplain British school’s administrator, Dr. Francis Nwufoh, the petitioner alleged that First Bank used forged documents to seal the school over a loan yet to expire.
    The petitioner further said that First Bank has commenced erecting parameter fence against the content of the judgment delivered by the court
    The investigative hearing continues on Thursday, March, 28, 2019.
  • Alleged Forgery: Reps Petitions Committee asks FBN, CBN others to provide documents in seven days

    Alleged Forgery: Reps Petitions Committee asks FBN, CBN others to provide documents in seven days

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja
    A probe panel of the House of Representatives investigating alleged forgery of N630 million loan documents of Whiteplains British School Abuja which opened up hearing into the matter on Thursday has given both the First Bank of Nigeria Plc FBN, Central Bank of Nigeria CBN and other parties allegedly involved in the forgery seven days to provide necessary documents to it.
    Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta said that all parties in the dispute over the loan upon which the school was built should avail the Committee of all necessary documents that will unravel the truth to it.
    He said that said that shutting down the school and doing nothing there because of the dispute over loan used for building it is harmful to the economy of the country.
    The lawmaker who also frowned at the appeal filed by the parties in the dispute at the law court said: “i want all documents here, not to sit on appeal”.
    He hinted that there are several law suits with different suit numbers on the matter before the House Committee.
    Some top echelon staff of the First Bank of Nigeria CBN, Central Bank of Nigeria CBN and and the Administrator of Whiteplains British School who were present at the hearing could not provide the relevant documents requested by the committee to unravel the truth behind the matter.
    In a petition dated November 26, 2018 and signed by the school’s administrator Dr. Francis Nwufoh, the petitioner avowed that the First Bank used forged documents to seal the school over a loan yet to expire.
    The petitioner further said that the First Bank staffers who allegedly forged the loan documents in disuputed school came and started erecting fences on the gate of the
    school.
    While testifying before the committee, Mrs Frances Lucius Ibeh who said she sold the disputed land in which the school was built to Dr. Nwufoh added that she endorsed the tripartite agreement on it.
    She further said that she will ask the Solicitor that signed the documents to produce the relevant documents that were signed over the disputed land in which the school is situated.
    The Committee helmsman and other members notably Hon. Simon Arabo (Kaduna, PDP) therefore resolved that all the parties invited at the investigative hearing should avail the committee of all necessary documents in the dispute over the loan in less than seven (7) days.